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Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

A delicious Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils is a dish that comes together quickly and is worthy of weekend entertaining. Stove top grilled salmon served over lentils with a mustard punch. Not only is it a delicious dish, it’s healthy as well.

Close up of salmon and lentils on a plate.
Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

Delicious dinners don’t have to be time consuming or complicated. You can easily get a quick dinner on the table that’s full of flavour and not boring any day of the week. Dinners like the Red Thai Chicken Curry and the Lemon Crusted Baked Cod are other examples of easy and tasty dinners that you really can make in a hurry.

Salmon with lemon wedges and lemon.
Salmon & Lentils

What is This Salmon & Lentil Dish Like

  • Difficulty – This is a two part dish that’s really easy to make and on the table in 30 minutes!
  • Taste – This salmon and lentil dish has a fantastic flavour . The salmon is perfectly charred on the outside and tender and flaky inside. The lentils have a soft yet flavourful taste from the mustard and tarragon. it’s also a healthy dish with under 400 calories per serving.
  • Serving – This recipe makes four modest servings. If you are looking for bigger portions, I’d recommend doubling the recipe. You can easily do that in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Salmon and lentils on a plate with lemon.
Salmon with Lentils in a Mustard Butter


Ingredients

  • Salmon – I used 4 small salmon fillets for this dish.
  • Lentils – This dish used precooked brown lentils.
  • Leek – Leeks add a wonderful earthy flavour to dishes. They are part of the onion family but not as sharp as onions.
  • Garlic – Fresh minced garlic.
  • Lemon – I used fresh squeezed lemon juice.
  • Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley.
  • Tarragon – I used dried tarragon for a great flavour.
  • Mustard – Grainy Dijon mustard was used in this recipe.
  • Balsamic Vinegar – This adds a nice punch to the lentils
  • Butter – I used butter to cook the lentils as well as the salmon.
  • Seasonings – Table salt and black pepper.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Ingredients to make salmon and lentils.
Ingredients to make the Salmon and Lentils

Instructions

  1. Make mustard mixture – In a small bowl, combine the mustard, juice of half a lemon, fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside
  2. Cook lentils – In a large skillet set over high heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1/2 of the garlic. Give a good stir and toss in the leeks. Stir for a minute and let cook for about 5 -8 minutes to cook and brown. Add the lentils, the mustard mixture and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Cook salmon – With a medium skillet set over medium heat, add the remaining butter and garlic. Season the salmon fillets with salt and add to the pan. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Squeeze over lemon juice and remove from pan.
  4. Serve – Serve the salmon over the lentils, top with parsley garnish and fresh black pepper.

Recipe Tips

  • Time saving – I used a jar of precooked lentils. This saves so much time in putting together this recipe . If you cook lentils from dry, they will take about 30 extra minutes.
  • Multi tasking – While the lentil dish is finishing off, cook the salmon. This way both dishes will be ready at the same time.
  • Don’t overcook salmon – If you overcook the salmon, it will dry out. So be careful. Times will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon. My salmon pieces were about 3/4 inch thickness and I cooked the first side for four minutes and then flipped and cooked for a further three minutes.
Salmon with lentils and lemon wedges.
Salmon with Lentils

Substitutions

  • Precooked lentils – I used precooked jar lentils. This is easy and convenient. You could use dry lentils and cook them yourself. Lentil will cook in boiling water in about 30 minutes.
  • Grainy Dijon Mustard – I you don’t have or don’t prefer grainy mustard, you can just use regular Dijon Mustard for these lentils.
  • Dried Tarragon – Dried tarragon adds a wonderful flavour to this recipe. Alternatively, you could use fresh tarragon, fresh chives or dried oregano with similar results.
Herb butter lentils in a bowl.
Herb Butter Lentils

Serving Suggestions

This salmon and lentil dish is whole meal on it’s own. It would go great with some Stove Top Nann Bread on the side and Tzatziki for a bigger meal. It’s a great meal to serve through the week on busy days or save for entertaining at the weekends.

Cooked salmon served over a bed of lentils.
Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to soak uncooked lentils?

Unlike many other larger legumes, lentils do not need to be soaked. If you are cooking your own lentils, just rinse the dry lentils and then cook them for approximately 30 minutes.

What is tarragon?

Tarragon is one of the fourย fine herbs in French cooking. It has a licorice like taste because of the same compound that’s found in fennel and anise.

How long can you keep cooked salmon in the fridge?

Cooked salmon can be kept in the refrigerator up to four days. Just make sure it’s kept in an airtight container.

Can you reheat cooked salmon?

While you can reheat cooked salmon, it does run of risk of drying out. I’d recommend wrapping it in foil and placing it on a baking sheet. Heat slowly in a 250 degree f oven for about 10 – 12 minutes or until warmed through.

Charred salmon with lemon wedges.
Charred Salmon

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Zesty Pan Seared Salmon

Calling all salmon lovers to the table for thisย Zesty Pan Seared Salmon. Using fresh lemon juice, capers and garlic for a zingy flavour that comes together quickly. Serve it with the Fall Harvest Wild Rice for a complete dinner.
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CLOSE UP OF THE ZESTY PAN SEARED SALMON

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Baked salmon in a baking dish.


Close up of salmon and lentils on a plate.
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Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils

A delicious Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils is a dish that comes together quickly and is worthy of weekend entertaining. Stove top grilled salmon served over lentils with a mustard punch. Not only is it a delicious dish, it's healthy as well.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Keyword: lentils, salmon
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 369kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

  • 4 Salmon fillets
  • 2 cups cooked lentils drained and rinsed
  • 1 Leek thinly slices cross ways and cut into small pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic minced and divided
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Small bunch fresh chopped parsley divided
  • 1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1 Tablespoon Grainy Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tablespoon butter divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the mustard, juice of half a lemon, fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside
  • In a large skillet set over high heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1/2 of the garlic. Give a good stir and toss in the leeks. Stir for a minute and let cook for about 5 -8 minutes to cook and brown. Add the lentils, the mustard mixture and the balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • With a medium skillet set over medium heat, add the remaining butter and garlic. Season the salmon fillets with salt and add to the pan. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Squeeze over lemon juice and remove from pan.
  • Serve the salmon over the lentils, top with parsley garnish and fresh black pepper.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

  1. This recipe uses cooked lentils.ย  If you are using dry lentils, you will need to use about one cup of dry lentils and cook them before making this dish.ย ย 
  2. If using dry lentils, add the dry lentils to about 3 cups of boiling water.ย  Cook for about 30 minutes until soft.ย  Drain and rinse.
Nutrition Facts
Salmon with Herb Butter Lentils
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 369 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 182mg8%
Potassium 909mg26%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 35g70%
Vitamin A 810IU16%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 48mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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By on March 24th, 2023
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About Julia Pinney

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