One of the best delicacies in the world is smoked fish! Typically we buy it since it’s so widely available in the grocery store, but got an outdoor smoker? You can make your own at home. Now that we have a smoker, Alex has spent a while honing this method. Here’s our best smoked salmon recipe that’s out of this world good. It has a tender, buttery texture and a rich, smoky flavor that is undeniably irresistible. Here’s how to smoke salmon!

Equipment and ingredients for smoked salmon

It might sound daunting, but it’s very simple to make your own smoked salmon at home. You’ll need an outdoor smoker, but other than that there’s no special equipment required. Here’s what you’ll need to smoke salmon:

• Outdoor smoker of any brand
• Smoking chunks or chips: we like to use a combination of cherry and hickory wood
• Salmon fillets: skin on! Use wild caught if possible.
• Brown sugar
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder

How to smoke salmon

Smoked salmon is simple: the most important thing you’ll need for this recipe is time. You’ll need to prepare the salmon the day before you want to smoke using a process called dry brining. Dry brining is salting and resting food before cooking it, which makes for deeply seasoned, juicy salmon without diluting the flavor (which can happen with a wet brine or marinade). Here’s how to smoke salmon:

1. The day before (dry brine): Sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder (see the recipe below for quantities). Place it on a platter uncovered in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours. Then rinse and refrigerate it uncovered overnight.
2. The day of smoking: Heat an outdoor smoker to 200°F. Place the salmon in the smoker and cook for 45 minutes to 75 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135°F.

Tips on outdoor smokers and pellets

Any outdoor smoker is suitable for this recipe. Keep in mind that the timing can vary based on the thickness of your salmon fillet and your specific smoker. We use a temperature-controlled smoker from Masterbuilt, which works wonderfully. But you can use any brand like Traeger or others, including both manual and automatic smokers.

Feel free to explore different woods to find your favorite flavor. While a lighter fruit wood is a popular choice for salmon, we favor a slightly more robust flavor with a mix of cherry and hickory. For a consistent smoke throughout the cooking process, we layer chunks of wood with charcoal in our smoker.

Why it’s better homemade

Smoked salmon from the store can be incredibly delicious, and we’ve found some great brands. However, homemade salmon is like taking 10 steps up. The flavor is beautifully intense, and you can vary the flavors depending on the wood you use. You can also vary the seasonings according to your liking.

You’ll find when you serve it, no one will be able to resist this smoked salmon! It did not last long at our house.

Hot smoked vs cold smoked (lox)

This smoked salmon recipe is for hot smoked salmon. Hot smoking flavors the salmon and cooks it at the same time, whereas cold smoking imparts flavors without fully cooking it. Cold smoked salmon is typically cooked at 90°F. This gives cold smoked salmon (lox) a buttery, smooth texture whereas hot smoked salmon is flaky and cooked through.

Flavor variations

There are lots of ways to vary this smoked salmon recipe. You can use lighter smoking chips like apple or cherry to have a more subtle flavor. We’ve tried this recipe with simple salt and pepper and it tastes great too! But to us, the brown sugar is essential for bringing out the earthy flavor of this fish.

Storage info

How to store homemade smoked salmon? Place it in a sealed container or plastic bag and refrigerate it for up to 10 days. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month (we haven’t tested this, because it’s eaten too quickly in our house!).

Smoked salmon recipes

Smoked salmon is perfect for eating on its own: it works for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner! But it’s extra delicious incorporated into recipes. Here are our top smoked salmon recipes to use up leftovers:

Smoked Salmon Bagel

What's better than a good old bagel with smoked salmon? Also known as lox, smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and veggies always hits the spot. Use plain cream cheese or this homemade herby version.

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer

The classic combination of smoked salmon, dill, cucumber and cream cheese is a hit every time: the perfect crowd pleasing appetizer! Mix the cream cheese with fresh dill, green onion and Dijon for a rich, zingy pop.

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Omelette

There’s just something about smoked salmon anything for breakfast or brunch that feels luxurious. Here’s a fun idea that takes minutes to whip up but feels elegant: put it in an omelette! The burst of flavor is unreal: smoky, buttery salmon against tender eggs, a burst of salty feta and burst from fresh chives. 

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Pasta

Imagine: chewy al dente pasta, bathed with a creamy sauce punctuated by bright lemon zest and herbaceous fresh dill. It’s hard not to be head over heels about this one! It’s extremely versatile: try it as an easy dinner, a fun brunch idea or picnic pasta salad.

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Toast

Salmon toast is pure and simple: a toast of artisan bread loaded with fluffy whipped ricotta, smoked salmon, capers and fresh dill. The electric pink salmon is stunning against the delicate green dill fronds. Each bite is a burst of smoky, creamy, rich, briny, salty and fresh!

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Dip

This creamy dip has a bit of a retro vibe, which makes it all the more endearing. It's chock full of rich flavor: hearty cream cheese, punchy Dijon, and that intensely smoky flavor that only fresh smoked salmon brings. Mix it up in 5 minutes, and it’s good for days in the fridge.

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Salad

Here's a genius smoked salmon recipe that makes a fast dinner or healthy lunch with no cooking required. It’s healthy, fresh, and 100% cook free. Imagine: savory smoked salmon, fresh greens, fluffy goat cheese dollops and a tangy shallot vinaigrette.

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Got smoked salmon? Throw it in a sandwich! It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up, layering it with cream cheese and crunchy veggies. It’s perfect for no-think weeknight dinners!

Get Recipe

Smoked Salmon Spread

The flavor is bold, creamy, smoky, and herby all at once, and makes the ideal slather for bagels, sandwiches, toasts, and more. Serve it as part of bagel brunch spread, on toast for a light dinner, or on crackers as an easy lunch.

Get Recipe

This smoked salmon recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.

Smoked Salmon Recipe

---

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: Overnight
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 51 minute
• Yield: ¾ pound

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This smoked salmon recipe makes tender fish with a pure smoky flavor! Here’s how to smoke salmon and ways to use it in recipes.

---

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound salmon fillets, skin on (wild if possible)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Smoking chips: we like a mix of cherry and hickory

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. The day before (dry brine): Sprinkle the salt, brown sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder over the salmon. Place it on a platter uncovered in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours. Then rinse, pat dry and refrigerate it uncovered overnight. 
2. The day of smoking: Heat an outdoor smoker to 200°F with smoker chips, chunks or pellets (we prefer a mix of cherry and hickory wood). Place the salmon in the smoker and cook for 45 minutes to 75 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 135°F. Place it in a sealed container and refrigerate up to 10 days. 

Notes

If you prefer, you can cover the salmon loosely in the refrigerator, just make sure that it is exposed to air.

• Category: Essentials
• Method: Smoked
• Cuisine: Seafood
• Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Smoked salmon, smoked salmon recipe, smoked salmon recipes, how to smoke salmon

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Need some pizza night ideas? Here’s an idea that’s so simple but tastes like it’s from your favorite pizza joint: this red pepper pizza with feta and oregano! First stir together our famous easy pizza sauce, which requires just 5 ingredients for its garlicky tomato flavor. Then top with mozzarella cheese, jarred roasted red pepper strips and salty feta cheese. Baked until the crust is golden and showered with fresh oregano, it’s one unforgettable pie.

Ingredients for red pepper pizza

This red pepper pizza is quick and easy: the model of Italian simplicity! Here at A Couple Cooks we’ve eaten a lot of great pizza in the US and Italy, and what we’ve found is this: the best topping combinations are the simplest. There’s a reason that margherita pizza is the world’s favorite! All you need are a few quality ingredients to make magic. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

• Best Pizza Dough
• Homemade Pizza Sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk if possible)
• Feta cheese crumbles
• Jarred roasted red peppers
• Fresh oregano

For the pizza dough

The trick to the best red pepper pizza? Homemade pizza dough. There are several options for dough depending on your preferences and what tools you have available. The first recipe is our standard, but the others are great alternatives.

• Best Pizza Dough: The standard! This is our best oven pizza dough and works best on a pizza stone.
• Thin Crust Pizza Dough: It’s easy and you can roll it out instead of stretching it.
• Pizza Oven Dough: Got a pizza oven? This is the dough recipe for you.

There are a few other styles of pizza dough that also work here. You can try a Pan Pizza in a cast iron skillet, no special pizza tools required. Or, make our Best-Ever Sheet Pan Pizza: it makes a double recipe in a large sheet pan, perfect for serving a crowd.

Pizza making tools

You’ll need a few tools if you choose the standard or thin crust dough recipes. Again, if you chose the pan pizza or sheet pan pizza recipes above, no extra tools are needed!

• Pizza stone: High temperatures make the crust crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Here’s the pizza stone we recommend, and a bit more on how to care for it.
• Pizza peel: A peel is a paddle used to slide a pie onto the hot stone in the oven. We recommend this standard pizza peel or this conveyor pizza peel.
• Pizza oven (optional): Want to make next level pizza? Try an outdoor pizza oven! We own and have extensive experience with both the Ooni pizza oven and the ROCCBOX (the ROCCBOX is our favorite). We used a pizza oven to get the charred crust you see in the photos.

Red pepper pizza topping variations

There are lots more fun pizza toppings to add to this red pepper pizza, if you’d like to get more creative! Here are a few ideas for flavors that would pair well:

• Red pepper sauce (use it instead of the homemade pizza sauce)
• Goat cheese or ricotta cheese, in dollops
• Asiago or Pecorino cheese
• Olives
• Sausage crumbles
• Basil
• Thyme
• Hot honey
• Artichoke hearts
• Spinach (sauteed or frozen thawed)
• Red onion slices

What do you plan to put on your red pepper pizza? Let us know if you follow the recipe below or get creative with more toppings!

More pizza recipes

Love pizza? Here are some of our top pizza recipes to try:

• Go for a classic Homemade Margherita Pizza
• Try these 20 Popular Pizza Toppings
• Opt for White Pizza (Pizza Bianca) or Classic Burrata Pizza
• Try Homemade Cheese Pizza or Best Ever Taco Pizza

01

Homemade Margherita Pizza

02

20 Popular Pizza Toppings

03

White Pizza (Pizza Bianca)

04

Ultimate Spinach Pizza

This red pepper pizza is…

Vegetarian.

Red Pepper Pizza with Feta

---

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 7 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes
• Yield: 1 medium pizza

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This red pepper pizza is an easy topping idea with major flavor! Sprinkle with roasted peppers, feta, and oregano for an unforgettable pie.

---

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Best Pizza Dough (or Thin Crust Dough or Pizza Oven Dough)
• ½ cup Homemade Pizza Sauce
• 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (whole milk if possible)
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1 large jarred roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped, for garnish (or ¼ teaspoon dried oregano)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Make the pizza dough: Follow the Best Pizza Dough, Thin Crust Pizza Dough or Pizza Oven Dough recipes to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)
2. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).
3. Make the pizza sauce: Make the Homemade Pizza Sauce. (You’ll use about ½ cup for the pizza; reserve the remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 1 week.)
4. Bake the pizza: When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
5. Spread a thin layer of the pizza sauce over the dough. Add the mozzarella cheese. Add the red pepper strips and sprinkle with feta cheese. 
6. Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 to 2 minutes in a pizza oven).
7. Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before adding the fresh oregano leaves. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Pizza
• Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Red pepper pizza

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Here’s a dinner idea we could eat on repeat every night of the week: Salmon Rice Crunch Bowls! This tasty bowl of salmon and rice has a few flavor secrets that make it over-the-top craveable. The chunks of tender fish are covered in an irresistible savory, garlicky and a little sweet salmon marinade. Combine that with fluffy rice and fresh veggies, then cover it with a spicy mayo to really make it pop. Sprinkle it with crunchy fried onions to seal the deal! We can’t get enough of this one.

Ingredients in this salmon rice bowl recipe

This salmon rice bowl is so much fun, we might eat it every day of the week if we could. The crunch part of the bowl is a riff on our pal Pinch of Yum’s recipe for Crunchy Roll Bowls. It mimics the textures and flavors in a sushi crunch roll, using purchased crispy fried onions to mimic the crunchy tempura flakes (genius, Lindsay!). Here’s what you’ll need for this salmon rice bowl:

• 1 recipe Marinated Salmon
• Long grain white rice
• Avocados
• English cucumber
• Carrots
• Radishes
• Mayoonaise
• Sriracha hot sauce
• Crunchy fried onions
• Chunky sea salt or soy sauce

About those crispy fried onions

So, those crispy fried onions: other than the marinated salmon, they’re the key to this salmon rice bowl! After trying it, let’s just say we sprinkle crispy fried onions on all our bowl meals and salads. Here are a few tips:

• Grab a can of purchased crispy fried onions. That’s right, the kind that go on green bean casserole.
• Sprinkle over the whole bowl on as a garnish. They mimic the texture of a sushi crunch roll, and also bring a little savory onion flavor to the party.
• Use them for sprinkling on any bowl meal or salad. They’re especially fun on on a Caesar salad or kale Caesar.

Keys to the marinated salmon

This salmon rice bowl is good with any type of salmon: so you can use your favorite salmon recipe. But what really makes it shine is this marinated salmon! It adds an extra punch of flavor with soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and garlic. Here are a few things to know:

• Place the salmon in shallow dish, then pour in the marinade mixture. The recipe below makes about ¾ cup marinade which works for 1 pound of salmon.
• Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You can allow the salmon to marinate for up to 3 hours refrigerated; if so, allow it to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
• Tap off excess marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Removing excess marinade is important if you’re pan searing so the pan won’t spit (it’s not as necessary for grilling, since excess marinade can fall between the grates).
• Cook using your favorite cooking method. Make pan seared salmon, broiled salmon, or grilled salmon following these linked methods.

Variations on this salmon rice bowl

Want to make an even quicker salmon rice bowl? Use different flavors? Here are a few ideas:

• Speed it up with smoked salmon or canned salmon. This makes a super quick weeknight meal. If using canned salmon, drain it and mix it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper before serving.
• Use different vegetables. Use whatever you have on hand! Try broccoli, edamame, shredded red cabbage, or sliced bell peppers.
• Add a different flavor profile. Swap out the spicy mayo for cilantro lime dressing and use quick black bean and corn salad for the vegetables for a totally different feel.

How would you customize this salmon rice crunch bowl? Let us know in the comments below!

More salmon recipes

Love cooking with this versatile fish? Try these tasty salmon recipes:

• Go for tasty Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Salmon
• Try fast and easy Salmon Croquettes with canned salmon
• Make this Marinated Salmon for an easy dinner
• Opt for Honey Garlic Salmon

01

Stuffed Salmon

02

Salmon Croquettes

03

Grilled Marinated Salmon

04

25 Easy Salmon Recipes

This salmon rice bowl recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.

Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl

---

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This salmon rice bowl recipe stars marinated salmon, fresh veggies, and the best part: crunchy bits of fried onion! It’s irresistible.

---

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Marinated Salmon (or your favorite salmon recipe*)
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced
• 2 large carrots, julienne peeled or shredded
• 4 radishes, sliced
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ tablespoons Sriracha
• Crunchy fried onions, to garnish (required!)
• Chunky sea salt, to garnish (or soy sauce)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer 15 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed (check by pulling back with a fork). Remove the heat, cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and serve.
2. Make the Marinated Salmon (pan seared, broiled or grilled). When it’s finished, flake the salmon into large chunks with a fork.
3. Chop the avocados. Dice the cucumber. Julienne or shred the carrots. Slice the radishes.
4. Make the spicy mayo: mix together the mayonnaise and the Sriracha. 
5. To serve, place the rice in a bowl and top with the salmon and veggies. Sprinkle salt on the veggies or a tiny bit of soy sauce around the whole bowl. Top with the spicy mayo and a generous sprinkle of crunchy fried onions.

Notes

*To make an even quicker salmon bowl, use smoked salmon or canned salmon (drained and seasoned with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper).

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Seafood
• Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Salmon rice bowl, salmon rice bowl recipe, salmon rice bowls

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Want to eat your greens and love it? Try this creamy spinach pasta recipe, starring chewy al dente pasta and an irresistible Parmesan garlic cream sauce! The way the creamy sauce and garlic accentuate the leafy greens makes it one of our top vegetarian pasta recipes to date. Cozy up to a bowl and it’s positively life-giving. You’ll never love spinach more!

Ingredients in this spinach pasta recipe

There’s not much that doesn’t taste amazing cooked with butter, garlic, Parmesan and cream. And this spinach pasta recipe is no exception! It’s hard to make a vegetarian pasta taste good, but this one passes with flying colors: and it’s simple! Even better, leftovers even stay flavorful in the fridge (which is my personal test for a good pasta recipe). Here’s what you’ll need for this spinach pasta:

• Pasta of any shape
• Butter
• Garlic
• Oregano
• Milk
• Heavy cream
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• All-purpose flour
• Fresh spinach
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Cook the pasta to al dente

The most important thing to remember when making any pasta is to cook your pasta to al dente! Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian, or when it’s tender with a small white speck inside when you bite into a piece. There’s nothing worse than soft, rubbery pasta. Here are a few tips for the perfect al dente pasta:

• Boil the pasta a few minutes less than indicated on the package instructions. Often package instructions make for overcooked pasta.
• Start taste testing early. Start taste testing and stop cooking when the pasta is just tender but you can still see a small white speck inside.

Tips for making spinach pasta

This spinach pasta recipe is so simple and straightforward, there aren’t many tips and tricks to call out. Besides cooking your pasta to al dente, here are a few things to note:

• Reserve some pasta water. It’s not required, so don’t worry if you forget it! But you can add a splash to loosen the sauce at the end of cooking.
• You’ll add thickener after simmering the sauce. This is not a standard white sauce that starts with a roux, a mixture of flour and butter that thickens cheese sauces. But it does contain flour as a thickener: you’ll add it at the end of simmering here.

A note on serving size

The spinach pasta recipe below makes enough for 8 ounces of pasta, which is technically 4 servings. However, we find that if you eat this pasta as a main dish, it makes more like 3 servings. Feel free to double the recipe if desired: click the 2X recipe button below!

Leftovers and storage info

Spinach pasta tastes the best the day it is made. However, we were surprised to find that the flavor of this pasta tastes great as leftovers! Store leftovers for up to 3 days refrigerated. You can reheat them in a skillet on the stove, adding a splash of milk to keep the sauce creamy. Or you can simply eat them cold (they’re still good!).

More spinach recipes

Got lots of spinach? Here are a few recipes you might enjoy:

• Try classic Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Go for a Perfect Spinach Salad
• Grab Crustless Quiche with Spinach
• Mix up a pot of Spinach Rice with Feta
• Try Easy Spinach Quiche or Ultimate Spinach Pizza
• Blend up a Best Spinach Smoothie

01

Best Spinach Smoothie

02

Perfect Spinach Salad

03

Spinach Rice with Feta

This spinach pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian.

Creamy Spinach Pasta

---

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 3

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This spinach pasta recipe is simple and irresistible! A creamy Parmesan garlic sauce complements the leafy greens.

---

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta of any type (we used rigatoni)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 5 cups (5 ounces) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Start a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until al dente (check a few minutes before the package instructions indicate). Reserve about ½ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Toss with a little olive oil if the sauce is not yet ready. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium low heat. Melt the butter, then add the garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the milk, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Add the spinach and salt and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the spinach is wilted.
3. In a small bowl, mix the flour with 1 tablespoon pasta water. Pour it into the pan with the sauce, then stir until it thickens.
4. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss. If necessary, add a few splashes of pasta water as necessary to make a creamy consistency. Top with fresh ground black pepper and serve. Enjoy immediately; leftovers last refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

• Category: Main dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Pasta
• Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Spinach pasta

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Are you a tofu fan? Then you’ll love this simple tofu soup recipe, a tasty, nourishing plant-based meal! Cubes of tofu float in a savory broth flavored with miso, ginger, dried mushrooms, and fresh mushrooms. Add crunchy carrots and green onions just before serving, and it’s a satisfying combination of hearty earthiness with crisp, fresh vegetables. Our entire family are tofu-lovers, so this vegan soup was a big hit over here: everyone got seconds!

Ingredients in tofu soup

There are many ways to make a tofu soup. There’s a popular Korean tofu soup that’s made with soft tofu called soondubu, or Japanese homemade miso soup with tofu (head to those recipes if you’re looking for those styles!).

The recipe below is a spinach and tofu soup with a simple mushroom broth made from dried miso and mushrooms. We experimented with a few methods for making a tofu soup, and found that store-bought vegetable broth just doesn’t cut it! Making your own has a much richer, developed flavor. Here’s what you’ll need for this style of tofu soup:

• Olive oil
• White onion
• Baby bella or shiitake mushrooms
• Dried mushrooms, like porcini
• Celery
• Garlic
• Grated ginger
• Yellow or white miso
• Soy sauce
• Salt
• Extra-firm tofu
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Green onions

Why dried mushrooms are key

This tofu soup is made with dried mushrooms, which infuse a hearty, savory flavor into the broth. Because here’s the thing: you’ll be making broth from water! That’s right: vegetable broth doesn’t work here. When we tried making this soup with veggie broth, both the flavor and color was muddy and unsatisfying. Alex had the idea of making miso mushroom broth with water and dried mushrooms, and it works! You don’t even need extra time: the soup still comes together in 30 minutes.

The dried mushrooms, miso, ginger and salt are key to making a broth from water that tastes bright, savory and bold. Do not skip them! The type we used was porcini mushrooms. You can find dried mushrooms near the produce in most standard grocery stores.

Tips for tofu soup

This tofu soup recipe uses the tofu raw, and it soaks up all the delicious flavors in the broth. It makes the method very simple, since you won’t need to cook the tofu beforehand! (While we love our baked tofu and fried tofu, it’s not necessary here). Here are a few things to note about this tofu soup method:

• Use extra-firm tofu. Make sure to have the right type of tofu: check the package for the words “extra firm.”
• Prep all ingredients in advance. The cook time goes quickly, so make sure to have everything chopped and ready to go.
• Don’t skip the dried mushrooms! As noted above, they are essential to the flavor.
• Add the crunchy vegetables at the end for garnish. The contrast of savory and soft versus crunchy and fresh really makes this one!

Optional garnish: hot sauce

You can garnish this tofu soup recipe with hot sauce: we added a dollop of chili garlic sauce to the mix. However, we found it made for a very spicy soup and that we preferred it without hot sauce! The delicate flavors don’t need the sauce, though you can add it if you love heat.

This tofu soup makes a tasty healthy dinner idea: serve it with edamame or a simple green salad. This carrot ginger dressing makes a nice pairing!

More tofu recipes

Tofu is one of our best loved plant-based proteins around here! Here are a few more tofu recipes to add to your arsenal:

• Try our fan-favorite Easy Baked Tofu
• Go for Easy BBQ Tofu
• Opt for Coconut Tofu Curry or Easy Tofu Tacos
• Make a Go-To Tofu Stir Fry

01

Easy Baked Tofu

02

Easy BBQ Tofu

03

Go-To Tofu Stir Fry

04

20 Tasty Tofu Recipes

Tofu Soup with Spinach

---

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 13 minutes
• Cook Time: 17 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This tofu soup recipe makes a nourishing, satisfying meal! It features spinach, mushrooms, and a flavorful broth.

---

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced
• 12 ounces baby bella and/or shiitake mushrooms, sliced (stems removed for shiitakes*)
• ½ ounce dried mushrooms (like porcini)
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons yellow or white miso**
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 package extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 4 cups baby spinach (or chopped spinach)
• 3 carrots, sliced into ribbons
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Chili garlic sauce, to garnish (optional; we found we preferred this soup without!)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fresh mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
2. Add 6 cups water to the pot. Stir in the dried mushrooms, celery, garlic, ginger, miso, soy sauce, salt and tofu. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 12 minutes. Taste and adjust salt until the broth tastes bold and flavorful.
3. Turn off heat and stir in the spinach. Serve hot in bowls, garnished with shredded carrots and green onions.

Notes

*Standard size shiitake mushrooms have very tough stems that should be removed before cooking. If you can find baby shiitake mushrooms, the stems are edible.

**Avoid red or brown miso, which has a very strong, salty flavor.

• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vegan
• Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Tofu soup, tofu soup recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Want a dinner recipe that’s easy and impressive? Try this spinach artichoke stuffed salmon recipe! A creamy, savory filling flavored like your favorite dip is the ideal contrast to flaky, tender salmon. This might be one of our favorite salmon recipes because it’s so simple and a total showstopper. We made this for Alex’s mom and she can’t stop talking about it (she immediately asked for the recipe!).

Ingredients in this stuffed salmon recipe

Salmon can be stuffed with just about anything, but we like to use a play on the popular snack, spinach artichoke dip. Slice a thin cut into a thick fillet of salmon, then stuff it with a filling of cream and Parmesan cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts and spices. The way the creamy filling accents the flaky fish makes it impossible not to take another bite. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

• Thick salmon fillets, wild caught if possible
• Salt and pepper
• Butter or ghee
• Frozen spinach
• Cream cheese
• Canned artichoke hearts
• Garlic powder and dried dill
• Lemon zest
• Parmesan cheese

The type of salmon to buy

The quality of salmon you can find at the store varies greatly. Lower quality salmon can taste very fishy and have a mushy texture, or have a lot of white stuff (called albumin) when it’s cooked. It’s also important to have thick pieces of salmon for this stuffed salmon recipe: otherwise it will be too thin to stuff. Here’s what to know when shopping:

• 2-inch thick fillets are handy for this recipe; you might find it labeled center cut at the store. Avoid very thin fillets for this recipe: they won’t be thick enough to stuff.
• Buy fresh salmon. Salmon that’s fresh from the fish counter usually has the best flavor. Frozen can work, but try to find highest-quality frozen salmon: avoid those big economy-sized bags (we’ve found this type can be thinner and taste very fishy).
• Look for wild caught salmon. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. (There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.)

Tips for stuffed salmon recipe

This stuffed salmon recipe comes together easily: but it does require a bit of technique. A few things we recommend? Invest in a food thermometer! It will help you cook the salmon to the perfect doneness. Here are a few particulars:

• Allow the salmon to come to room temperature before cooking. If the fish is too cold when you start, it can end up cooked on the outside but raw on the inside.
• Use a sharp knife to slice a pocket into the salmon fillet. Then stuff the pocket with the spinach artichoke stuffing (you’ll have a little left over).
• Give the fillets a quick sear on high heat on the stovetop. This ensures a nice browned exterior.
• A fish spatula is helpful for flipping! If you don’t have one, it’s a great investment and can be used for flipping and serving lots of other foods.
• Bake until 125 to 130°F at the thickest point, about 6 to 8 minutes. Measuring with a food thermometer is the best way to assess doneness of a piece of salmon.

Easy sides to serve with it

This stuffed salmon recipe comes together easily: but it’s still helpful to have a few very simple side dishes to serve with it. This way, you can whip them up in the hands-off times and still have a meal together in about 30 minutes. Here’s what we’d recommend:

• Try Easy Couscous or Easy Lemon Orzo, which come together in about 10 minutes
• Make Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa
• Go for a simple Easy Arugula Salad or Watercress Salad with Apple
• Try elegant Sauteed Broccolini or Sauteed Green Beans

And that’s it! Let us know if you try this stuffed salmon recipe and what you think of it. We hope it will be as big of a hit in your house as it is here!

More salmon recipes

Salmon is one of our top easy dinner ideas. Here are a few more fun salmon recipes for preparing it:

• Try simple and impressive Honey Garlic Salmon
• Go for Easy Grilled Salmon
• Make Salmon Tacos with Avocado Sauce
• Whip up Pecan Crusted Salmon or Lemon Garlic Salmon

01

Honey Garlic Shrimp

02

Easy Grilled Salmon

03

Salmon Tacos with Avocado Sauce

04

25 Easy Salmon Recipes

This stuffed salmon recipe is…

Gluten-free and pescatarian.

Stuffed Salmon

---

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Impress everyone with this stuffed salmon recipe! The creamy spinach artichoke filling perfectly compliments the flaky fish.

---

Ingredients

For the salmon

• 1 1/2 pounds thick salmon fillets*, skin on (wild caught if possible)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee

For the filling

• ¼ cup thawed frozen spinach
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the salmon on a plate on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature before cooking, about 15 to 20 minutes (this is about the time it takes for the oven to preheat)
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze it to remove all extra liquid, then use your fingers to break it into rough crumbles. In a small bowl, stir together the spinach with the cream cheese, artichokes, garlic powder, dried dill, kosher salt and lemon zest. 
3. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Sprinkle it with the kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper. Using a sharp knife, slice a pocket across the center of the salmon. Spoon the filling into the salmon pockets, stuffing it as full as possible. (There will be some filling left over, which you can save or discard.)
4. Heat a large, oven proof skillet over medium high heat and add the butter or ghee. When butter is melted, add the salmon skin side up and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until nicely seared.
5. Flip the salmon (a fish spatula makes easy work of it). Tilt the pan down slightly and quickly spoon the pan juices over the top of the fish a few times. Transfer to the oven and cook 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F in the center).
6. Remove from the heat. Spritz with juice from a few lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Notes

*2-inch thick fillets are handy for this recipe; you might find it labeled center cut. Avoid very thin fillets for this recipe: they won’t be thick enough to stuff. 

• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Seafood
• Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Stuffed salmon, stuffed salmon recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Here’s a delightful Italian eggplant dish that makes dinnertime more special: Eggplant Rollatini! It’s like a combination of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna roll ups. Tender strips of eggplant are wrapped around a creamy three-cheese filling, then baked in homemade tomato sauce and more cheese. They’re extremely satisfying and make for the best showstopping dinner! Here’s what you need to know about this classic Italian dinner recipe.

Ingredients in eggplant rollatini

Eggplant rollatini is an American name for an Italian dish of thinly sliced eggplant rolled around a filling and baked. It Italy it’s called involtini, or involtini di melanzane (involtini made of eggplant). The eggplant may be breaded or dusted in flour before rolling, or it may be rolled without breading.

This eggplant rollatini recipe has lightly broiled eggplant strips wrapped around a filling of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. The rolls are baked in homemade tomato sauce and covered in more cheese, which makes a cozy, homey vegetarian dinner. It’s also a great gluten-free dinner alternative to lasagna rolls. The ingredients you’ll need are:

• Eggplant
• Olive oil
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• Ricotta cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Egg
• Oregano, nutmeg and salt
• Chopped parsley and/or fresh basil

Ingredient notes

It’s important to use best quality ingredients in this eggplant rollatini for the best results. We recommend making the homemade marinara using fire roasted canned tomatoes, but you can substitute jarred marinara if you like. Here are a few specific ingredient notes to keep in mind:

• Use fire roasted tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes make the best flavor: they taste sweet and smoky right out of the can. If you can’t find them, substitute best quality tomatoes for the sauce.
• Or, use best quality jarred marinara. To save time for prep, you can use best quality jarred marinara sauce instead of making the homemade sauce. Keep in mind, the flavor is best following the recipe below!
• Whole milk mozzarella cheese makes a difference. This type of cheese melts much better than part skim mozzarella, and has a richer flavor. It also melts better when reheating.

How to make eggplant rollatini

Eggplant rollatini is simple to put together, but it does involve some time and effort. A tip: you might want to get the help of a partner to put this together! It’s much more fun and comes together quicker. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Slice the eggplant thinly, then broil it. Broiling the eggplant takes just 4 to 6 minutes for a tray, but you’ll need multiple batches to cook all 20 eggplant strips. You can also bake both trays at 425F for about 10 to 15 minutes until they are tender and nearly cooked through.
• Make the homemade marinara sauce following the recipe below.
• Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
• Spread a bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on each eggplant slice, then roll it up. Gently roll it around the filling, then place it in the pan.
• Top with more marinara sauce and cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving, which helps the texture to firm up and any liquid to be absorbed.

Storage and make ahead tips

This eggplant rollatini recipe takes about 1 hour to make, so it’s best for dinner parties or weekends when you have a good amount of prep time. If you’d like to eat it on a weeknight, you can prep some of the components in advance to make for a simpler assembly. Here are a few make-ahead tips:

• Cook the eggplant strips and make the tomato sauce and filling in advance. This saves about 30 to 40 minutes off in the timing of recipe. Refrigerate all three until ready to bake.
• Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can make the entire dish in advance and refrigerate if you like. Leftovers tastes great after re-warming in a 375°F oven.
• If desired, you can freeze leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 months. However, the eggplant can become more mushy after freezing, so we recommend eating it after refrigeration if possible.

More eggplant recipes

There are so many great ways to eat eggplant! Here are a few of our top eggplant recipes:

• Go for classic Eggplant Parmesan (Eggplant Parmigiana)
• Try Easy Sauteed Eggplant or Perfect Roasted Eggplant
• Opt for Best-Ever Eggplant Meatballs
• Make Eggplant Caponata or Pasta alla Norma

01

Eggplant Parmesan (Eggplant Parmigiana)

02

Pasta alla Norma

03

Easy Sauteed Eggplant

04

15 Tasty Eggplant Recipes

This eggplant rollatini recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Eggplant Rollatini

---

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 6

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This eggplant rollatini recipe is a hearty Italian style dinner everyone will love! Bake the veggie stuffed with a three-cheese filling.

---

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants (about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds), enough for about 20 slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes**
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, plus more for topping
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for topping
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• Fresh basil, to serve (optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Slice the ends off eggplant, then slice it lengthwise into 3/8” thick planks (you’ll have about 20 total). Place them on a baking sheet, then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place one sheet in the oven and broil 4 to 6 minutes until tender and mostly cooked through. Then broil in separate batches until all eggplant planks are cooked.*
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
3. Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer until making the eggplant rolls.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients: the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, oregano, nutmeg, chopped parsley, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
5. Spread some of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add 1 tablespoon filling to one end of each eggplant slice and roll up. Place it in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with all eggplant slices. Top the rolled eggplant with a line of tomato sauce, then additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 
6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving (this helps the texture to set and extra moisture to be absorbed). Top with fresh basil or additional chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

*If you prefer, you can also bake the eggplant on two trays at 425°F for 10 to 15 minutes until tender and mostly cooked through, checking the tenderness with a fork during the bake time.

**If desired, you can substitute 28-ounces high-quality jarred marinara to speed up prep time. 

• Category: Main dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian inspired
• Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Eggplant rollatini, eggplant rollatini recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Want some inspiration for eating your leafy greens? Try this creamy spinach soup! This beautiful green puree is packed with savory flavor and has a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Each spoonful is a delight! It’s perfect for parties like the first course of a meal: or pair it with grilled cheese for a satisfying lunch or dinner. It’s ideal if you have a big bag of spinach to use up: spinach soup to the rescue!

Ingredients in spinach soup

This spinach soup recipe is flavored with a few other soup-staple ingredients. Most importantly, yellow potatoes help to thicken the creamy body (otherwise it turns out much too thin). Add just a splash of heavy cream at the end for richness, and it makes a luxurious soup that tastes restaurant quality. Here are the ingredients you need:

• Spinach
• Yellow onion
• Celery
• Garlic
• Yellow potatoes
• Vegetable broth
• Butter
• Rosemary
• Salt
• Heavy cream
• Lemon juice

Baby spinach vs standard spinach

You can use either baby spinach (sold in boxes or bags) or standard spinach (sold in bunches) for this recipe. You’ll want 12 ounces of spinach leaves, which is easiest to find here in the US with a large box of baby spinach.

If you’re using bunches of standard spinach, we’d suggest using about 1 pound with stems. Chop the leaves and measure out 12 cups. It’s a great way to use up a load of leafy greens!

Tips for the process

This spinach soup recipe is straightforward and simple: sauté the aromatic vegetables, add the remaining ingredients and simmer, then puree in a blender until smooth. Here are a few pointers:

• Use a standard blender, not an immersion blender. Typically we like placing an immersion blender (stick blender) right into a pot of soup and blending away. But with this soup, the stick blender doesn’t get it creamy enough. Transfer it carefully to a standard blender, using a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Be careful because the soup is very hot!
• Don’t be tempted to light up on cream. Stirring in heavy cream at the end gives just the right rich body to this soup. Don’t be tempted to use milk: while it works, it’s not nearly as tasty!

Ways to serve spinach soup

There are lots of hearty soups you can as a meal, but this spinach soup recipe isn’t filling enough to eat on its own. It doesn’t have any sources of protein, which is by design! It’s a pureed soup that’s great as a first course or paired with other items to make a meal. Here are a few ideas for how to serve it:

• Serve as a first course 
• Use it for holiday entertaining like for a brunch, Christmas, Easter, or other holidays
• Add a gourmet grilled cheese or a fancy quesadilla to round out the meal
• Add a hearty salad like Apple Salad or Pear Salad with Pecans

More spinach recipes

This spinach soup is a great way to use this leafy green: but there are so many more fun ways! Here are some of our top spinach recipes to try:

• Make it into a meal with Creamy Spinach Pasta
• Go for everyone’s favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Try other soups with spinach, Spinach Tortellini Soup or Tofu Soup with Spinach
• Turn it into a stellar side dish with Spinach Rice with Feta
• Blend up Best Spinach Smoothie or make a Perfect Spinach Salad

01

Creamy Spinach Pasta

02

Spinach Artichoke Dip

03

Spinach Rice with Feta

04

30 Tasty Spinach Recipes

This spinach soup recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Creamy Spinach Soup

---

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Try this spinach soup recipe for the creamiest, dreamiest green puree! It’s packed with irresistible flavor.

---

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 large celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and small diced (12 ounces)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach (or 12 cups chopped standard spinach*)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more to garnish
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the onions are transparent.
2. Add the chopped potato, vegetable broth, rosemary, and kosher salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the spinach and simmer 5 minutes more until the spinach is wilted and the potatoes are very tender. 
3. Carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender using a ladle. Blend until creamy and pureed. Add the heavy cream and pulse to combine. Taste and add 1 to 2 more pinches salt. Serve warm, garnished with a drizzle of cream.

Notes

*You’ll want 12 ounces of spinach leaves, which is typically easy to find in a large box. If you’re using bunches of standard spinach, we’d suggest buying about 1 pound with stems. Chop the leaves and measure out 12 cups.

• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Soup
• Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Spinach soup, spinach soup recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Got a beautiful salmon steak and not sure how to cook it? This unique piece of fish is rich and meaty, making an impressive and fun dinner idea. We were pleasantly surprised the first time we tasted one, and it’s a nice alternative to the traditional salmon fillet. This recipe comes out perfectly seasoned, cooked with a mixture of lemon, butter and olive oil and a delicious mix of spices!

Ingredients in this salmon steak recipe

What is a salmon steak? A salmon steak is cut perpendicular to the spine, whereas a salmon fillet is cut parallel to the spine. It is thicker and tastes richer and meatier than a fillet. Salmon steaks are typically sold bone in, so you’ll need to remove the bones before serving. It makes an impressive alternative to a fillet, and it works both pan fried or grilled.

For this salmon steak recipe, you’ll season the steaks with a mix of savory spices, then pan sear them until tender. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Salmon steaks
• Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, cumin, salt
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice

Tips for deboning salmon steaks

There are three types of bones to remove in salmon steaks: rib bones that run along the cavity, pin bones on the sides, and vertebrae in the center. Use a fillet knife or boning knife for the large bones and a fish bone tweezer to pull out the smaller bones. Watch this video for how to debone salmon steaks.

How to cook salmon steak

This salmon steak recipe has instructions for pan searing, but it also works on the grill! Here’s how to cook this unique cut of fish:

1. Bring to room temperature: Allow the salmon steaks to stand at room temperature before cooking, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Season: Mix the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and cumin in a small bowl. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub the seasoning mix on both sides of the salmon steaks.
3. Pan sear: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When butter is melted, add the salmon steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until cooked about halfway to the center of the thick part of the salmon. Flip the salmon, tilt the pan down slightly and quickly spoon the pan juices over the top of the fish a few times. Drizzle with the lemon juice and spoon the pan juices a few times again.
4. Finish: Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender and pink at the center. The internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F when measured in the center.

Alternative: grill it!

Salmon steaks work well grilled as well! Follow the same seasoning in the recipe below. Then do the following:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450°F).
• Grill the salmon skin side up for 5 minutes (where the flames aren’t directly touching the fish), until grill marks appear and it releases from the grates.
• Flip and cook another 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon, until flaky and just pink at the thickest portion and the internal temperature is 125 to 130°F. (Salmon varies in thickness, so the cook time is different based on each piece of fish.) Allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.

More salmon recipes

Love salmon? Here are a few more salmon recipes that work with fillets and canned versions of this tasty protein:

• Try an irresistible Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl
• Opt for Easy Marinated Salmon
• Go for simple and elegant Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Salmon
• Try fast and easy Salmon Croquettes with canned salmon
• Opt for Honey Garlic Salmon

01

Salmon Rice Crunch Bowl

02

Easy Salmon Marinade

03

Salmon Croquettes

04

25 Easy Salmon Recipes

This salmon steak recipe is…

Gluten-free and pescatarian.

Easy Salmon Steak

---

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This easy salmon steak recipe makes perfectly seasoned, tender steaks! Shower with spices and spritz with lemon for a standout meal.

---

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon steaks (deboned; see this video)
• ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil for dairy free)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus one drizzle
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus a few lemon wedges

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Allow the salmon steaks to stand at room temperature before cooking, about 15 to 20 minutes.*
2. Mix the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and cumin in a small bowl. Pat the salmon dry with a clean towel. Rub the seasoning mix on both sides of the salmon steaks.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil. When butter is melted, add the salmon steaks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until cooked about halfway to the center of the thick part of the salmon.
4. Flip the salmon (a fish spatula makes easy work of it). Tilt the pan down slightly and quickly spoon the pan juices over the top of the fish a few times. Drizzle with the lemon juice and spoon the pan juices a few times again. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness, until just tender and pink at the center (the internal temperature should be between 125 to 130°F when measured in the center). Remove from the heat. Spritz with juice from a few lemon wedges and serve.

Notes

*If you prefer, you can grill the salmon steaks instead of pan searing: go to How to Grill Salmon.

• Category: Main dish
• Method: Pan seared
• Cuisine: Seafood
• Diet: Gluten Free

Keywords: Salmon steak, salmon steak recipe, salmon steak recipes, salmon steaks

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Need a quick noodle fix? Try these simple soba noodles! Soba are a Japanese buckwheat noodle, and they’re perfect for fast and easy meals. This recipe takes just 15 minutes, tossing the noodles with a zingy sauce of soy, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Throw them in a bowl and top with an egg or sauteed shrimp, and you’ve got dinner! Because they’re so quick, they’ve become our crutch for fast weeknight meals.

Types of soba noodles

Soba are a traditional Japanese buckwheat noodle. They’re easy to find at your local grocery, either in the noodles section or near the Japanese ingredients. Because they’re made with buckwheat flour, most soba are naturally gluten-free. However, some brands also have wheat flour in them: so make sure to check the package if you eat exclusively gluten free.

There is a lot of variation in soba noodle brands! Alex and I have tested dozens, and we find that every brand of soba is different. Some are very thin and tend to break, so we try to look for soba that are thicker and hold up better. Make sure to experiment a bit to find the brand of soba that you like best.

What’s in this soba noodles recipe?

This soba noodles recipe is fast and easy to make, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples! It’s essentially a pantry meal, aside from the green onion. You can even leave out the green onions if you don’t have them on hand! Here’s what’s in this soba noodles recipe:

• Soba noodles
• Soy sauce or liquid aminos
• Toasted sesame oil: make sure it is toasted, not regular! Toasted sesame oil is intended for flavoring, whereas regular sesame oil is neutral in flavor
• Rice vinegar
• Honey or maple syrup
• Miso: optional but adds great flavor (see below)
• Garlic
• Green onions (optional)
• Sesame seeds (optional; if you use them toast them!)

Rinse your soba to remove starch!

Here’s an important note about cooking soba noodles: rinse them after they’re done cooking! Rinsing pasta is not required for something like Italian spaghetti or penne. But for soba, rinsing is necessary to remove the starch that builds up during cooking.

If you don’t rinse, the soba becomes very gummy and mushy. It also absorbs the sauce and becomes dry instead of saucy. So please: rinse your soba after cooking! You’ll notice a big difference.

A secret ingredient: miso

This soba noodles recipe contains a secret ingredient: miso! If you’ve never cooked with it, we highly recommend getting a container for your fridge: and it lasts for months. Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that’s full of nutrients and savory flavor (or, umami). Umami is the so called “fifth flavor” after sour, salty, sweet, and bitter. It adds incredible flavor to any dish!

You can find miso at most major grocery stores near the other Japanese ingredients. There are many different types of miso, all with different flavors: red, yellow, and brown. We used brown miso here, which contributed to the dark color of these noodles.

Since we cook mostly plant based, Alex and I tend to use miso to get a meaty or cheesy flavor in recipes. It’s great in Easy Miso Ramen, and even works to substitute Parmesan flavor in our Vegan Pesto!

Why to toast sesame seeds

For the best flavor, garnish these soba noodles with toasted sesame seeds! Of course, you can just use straight up sesame seeds. But toasting your sesame seeds in a pan heightens the nutty flavor considerably.

It’s almost like using salt on food: it brings out the existing flavor and takes it to new heights! It only takes 3 minutes to toast sesame seeds, and you can store leftovers in a sealed container for months. Go to How to Toast Sesame Seeds.

Make it a meal!

Now for the fun part: how to make these soba noodles into a meal! You can serve them as part of an easy dinner main dish, or a side to a simple entree. Here’s what we recommend:

• Top with an egg. The easiest way to make it dinner! Top with a fried egg or soft boiled egg. Dinner, solved!
• Top with tofu. This Pan Fried Tofu is our favorite method for weeknights, and our Baked Tofu gets rave reviews. Or try Marinaded Tofu, which is incredibly simple with no cooking required.
• Top with shrimp. Try this quick and healthy Sauteed Shrimp! Use plain sesame oil for cooking and add a drizzle of rice vinegar and soy sauce at the end (instead of the lemon).
• Add edamame. This quick side is so simple! Try with Easy Edamame or Spicy Edamame.
• Serve with a stir fry! Try it with our Easy Stir Fry Vegetables.
• Serve as a side dish to shrimp or salmon. Try it with Teriyaki Salmon or Shrimp and Broccoli.

This soba noodles recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

Quick Soba Noodles

---

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sonja Overhiser
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Need a quick noodle fix? These simple soba noodles are fast and full of flavor: perfect as a side dish or easy dinner.

---

Ingredients

• 8 ounces soba noodles
• ¼ cup regular soy sauce (or substitute tamari or coconut aminos)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon miso (optional; we used dark miso)
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• 4 green onions
• Sriracha, to taste (optional)
• Toasted sesame seeds*
• To make it a meal: Fried egg or soft boiled egg, Pan fried tofu or Marinaded tofu, or Sauteed shrimp

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles: Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions: it should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Important: when the noodles are done cooking, rinse them under cool running water in a strainer, tossing them to remove the starch. Then shake off excess water. If you’d like the noodles to be warm when serving, run them under warm water for a few seconds; you can also serve room temperature or cold. (If you skip this step, the noodles soak up the sauce and become too dry.)
2. Whisk the sauce: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, miso (if using), and grated garlic.
3. Slice the onions: Thinly slice the green onions on the bias (diagonally), using both white and dark green parts.
4. Combine and serve: Return the rinsed and shaken dry noodles to the pan or a bowl; stir in the sauce and green onions. Place in serving bowls, top with sesame seeds and serve. 

Notes

*Toasting the sesame seeds really brings out the nutty flavor! It takes only 3 minutes and you can taste the difference. Store toasted sesame seeds for months in a sealed container in the pantry.

• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Japanese
• Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Soba noodles

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.