FREE SHIPPING after spending $75. *after discounts apply

Recipes /
Healthy Weeknight Dinner: Mediterranean Baked Salmon Dish with Roasted Asparagus

January 16, 2025

This Mediterranean Baked Salmon is my foolproof fish recipe that can be used for any variety of seafood filet! Not only that, but you can totally choose your own adventure and adjust the seasonings according to your preference, making it easily adaptable to any family.

It’s a classic Fab Four meal, offering all the blood sugar-balancing benefits while bursting with flavor. There’s sweet, jammy tomatoes. Flaky, buttery salmon. A little umami from the briny olives. And a pop of fresh herbs. Let’s see how it plates up:

Protein: Salmon
Fat: Olive oil, olives
Fiber: Asparagus, tomatoes
Greens: Fresh herbs

The blood sugar benefits of this Fab Four meal aren’t the only thing to love. It’s rich in heart-healthy, immune-boosting, and brain-building omega 3 fatty acids.

Research has shown that childhood and adolescent supplementation of omega 3s results in improvement in the areas of attention, memory, executive function, and communication (source).

While the recommended daily intake of omega 3s for children ranges between 500-1000 mg depending on your child’s age, you can serve up a whopping 2000 mg of omega 3s in a single 3 oz serving of oily, omega 3-rich fish, such as the salmon we’ll be using in our recipe below! I really want to encourage you to serve your child healthy, omega 3-rich fish 1-2 times per week in order to experience those rich health benefits.

It’s also important to note that type matters when it comes to omega 3s. While chia, flax, and walnut all contain omega 3s, these short-chain omega 3s are not as easily utilized by the body as longer chain omega 3s found in wild caught fish and algae. Almost all of the research on the benefits of omega 3s pertain to those sourced via oily fish and algae.

You know the benefits. Now, let’s get into the kitchen and learn how to throw this fuss-free recipe together!

Be Well Tip: If you remove the skin from your fish before baking as well as use aromatics (garlic, shallot, onion, etc.) such as those below, you won’t need to worry about your home smelling fishy!

Want to see how I cook this recipe in real time, plus tips on how to optimize your plate with some light science on the benefits of plating up oily fish 1-2 a week? Check out the full video on Youtube in my new series, The Fab Four Kitchen.

Prep Time
5 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Servings
4-6
Freezer Friendly
No

Ingredients

For the Salmon:

2-4 tbsp olive oil (use code BEWELL)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes
¼ cup Kalamata olives
1-2 Tbsp vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
1-2 lbs salmon filet
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
1 ½ tsp cumin
½-1 tsp coriander
Sea salt and pepper

For the Asparagus:

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil (use code BEWELL)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping:

Fresh herbs - Italian parsley, basil, dill

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Add olive oil, shallots, garlic, cloves, and tomatoes to the bottom of a baking dish, and place in oven for 15-20 minutes.
While your aromatics are in the oven, prep salmon and asparagus.
Toss asparagus in olive oil and add salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a stainless steel pan.
Pat salmon dry and remove skin if you haven’t already. Season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander.
After 15-20 minutes, when tomatoes are bursting and jammy, add your salmon to the dish and return it to the oven. Add asparagus to the oven as well. Bake an additional 10-12 minutes, or until salmon is to your preferred doneness.
Plate your food – be sure to generously spoon the sauce from your pan over the salmon and asparagus. Top with chopped fresh herbs.