Salmon Grain Bowls are a healthy, high protein lunch made with canned salmon, tender grains and fresh veggies, plus plenty of Mediterranean flavors with the feta, olives and pesto.
Anyone else have some pantry staples that they keep on hand but don’t really know what to do with?
For me, among other things, it’s canned salmon.
It just feels like a good idea to have some canned salmon on hand. It’s such a healthy protein.
And so versatile.
Except when I get down to it, I’m always stumped on what to do with it.
Usually, I default to making these southwest salmon burgers. And they are oh so tasty.
But I’m always envisioning a healthy high protein lunch using the canned salmon.
And I love a bowl. Oh how I love a bowl.
(See these vegetarian Greek grain bowls, bean and rice bowls and chicken shawarma rice bowls.)
So I finally started playing around in the kitchen and came up with these colorful, delicious, flavor-packed salmon grain bowls.
We’ve got tender cooked grains, a creamy salmon mixture, fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, some feta cheese and olives and a drizzle of pesto to bring it all together.
So much yum in a bowl. You’ll be looking forward to lunchtime when this is on the menu!
Plus, you can play around with the ingredients to suit your tastes and use what you have in your kitchen.
OK, let’s get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and FAQs coming up on how to make salmon grain bowls. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Farro: I love the chewy texture of farro, and I tend to get the quick-cook kind at Trader Joe’s so it’s easy to make. You can use regular farro or even substitute brown or white rice or another grain if you prefer.
- Canned salmon: I use and prefer a can of wild Alaskan pink salmon that's boneless and skinless. I also recommend low-sodium so you can control the amount of sodium in your dish.
- Fresh salmon: If you'd like to use fresh or frozen salmon filets for this recipe, just cook them through (in the oven or stovetop) and flake them to use for the grain bowl. You can mix with the Greek yogurt or skip that if you'd rather.
- Greek yogurt: We’re mixing this with the salmon to create a creamy salmon salad of sorts. You could also substitute mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Veggies: I use spinach and jarred roasted red peppers cause I always have those on hand. You could also add in some other roasted veggies, or cucumbers or tomatoes. Sautéed zucchini would be good here, too.
- Cheese: Feta is my go-to for the Mediterranean flavors here, but you could also use goat cheese or another favorite cheese if you’d like.
- Pesto: We’re drizzling this over the bowls to add a creamy, flavorful finish. You can make your own pesto, use store-bought or even substitute a favorite salad dressing instead.
As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe.
I love giving you guys a specific recipe to follow - I know sometimes that’s what I need - but I also love giving you plenty of ideas and options for customizing it.
I want you to be able to make it work for you!
Speaking of, feel free to add some fun toppings to your bowl.
Topping Ideas:
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Chopped tomato
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled jalapeños
- Hot sauce
- Dollop of hummus
Mix and match your favorites!
To note: As written, this serves 4. You can adjust this to make however many bowls you need.
Also, you can meal prep it and have one bowl for lunch today and another for lunch tomorrow for two people. Or halve the recipe to get 2 lunches.
Since we’re using seafood, I’d recommend using up the salmon mixture within 1-2 days.
I hope you give this a try for a new healthy high-protein lunch that you’ll be excited to dig into.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Salmon Grain Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked farro (see notes)
- 2 (5 oz) cans wild salmon, drained and flaked
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4-5 dashes hot sauce
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 whole roasted red peppers (from a jar), sliced
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup kalamata olives, halved
- ¼ cup prepared pesto
Optional toppings:
- Sliced avocado, chopped tomato, pickled red onions, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, hummus, etc.
Instructions
- Cook the farro according to package directions. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the salmon with the Greek yogurt and hot sauce and mix well. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Divide the cooked farro among 4 bowls or plates. Divide the salmon mixture among the four bowls and then arrange the spinach, red peppers, cheese and olives in each bowl. Drizzle each bowl with the pesto, add any desired toppings, and serve!
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