Salmon Asparagus Bake

Last week I made you Lemon Dill Sheet Pan Salmon, and this week I made you Salmon Asparagus Bake so you could have something completely different from the very same ingredients. If you like to avoid waste, get frustrated not knowing what to do with leftover ingredients that you bought for another recipe, or you don’t like eating the same meal two days running, this whole two-different-recipes-from-one-set-of-ingredients will really appeal to you.

This is another easy way to become comfortable with cooking salmon, and honestly it’s pretty hard to ruin poached salmon since it is cooked in liquid which prevents it drying out. And if you happen to under-cook it during the poaching part you’ll still be good because the heat of the sauce and the final broiling will finish it off nicely.

Salmon and leeks go so well together – neither is overwhelmed by the flavor of the other, and the lemon and dill just marry it all together. Asparagus is another mild-tasting vegetable that doesn’t have to fight with the salmon to be appreciated.

This Salmon Asparagus Bake is both light and hearty all at the same time. It can be eaten on it’s own or would also be lovely served with a simple green salad. If you are making this in the same week as the Lemon Dill Sheet Pan Salmon you can save a bunch of time by preparing the vegetables for both dishes at once and storing half in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can change things up by using different cheeses to finish it off, or omitting the cheese altogether if you need a dairy-free dish. You can also use different fish if something else suits your location and / or budget better.

If I wasn’t continually dreaming up new recipes this Salmon Asparagus Bake would definitely be in my regular rotation!

Salmon Asparagus Bake

Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Total time: 35 mins | Serves: 4

What You Need

• 2 cups chicken stock (or bone broth)
• 1.5 lbs / 670g salmon fillets
• 1 TBSP avocado oil or coconut oil
• 1 TBSP butter
• 14 oz. / 390g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ lengths
• 9 oz. / 250g leeks, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup / 4 fl oz. heavy cream
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 2 tsp. konjac flour / glucomannan powder
• Sea salt and ground black pepper (Get the best sea salt here and use code: carriebrown for 15% discount!)
• 2 TBSP fresh dill
• 2 oz. / 55g cheddar cheese, grated
  
  

What You Do

1. Place the chicken stock in a large skillet and lay the salmon fillets into the broth. Turn the heat on low and gently poach the salmon until the flesh is just opaque. Turn off the heat, carefully lift out the salmon pieces onto a plate and pour the broth into a jug and set aside.
2. Put the oil and butter into the skillet over a medium heat, add the asparagus and leek pieces and saute, stirring often, for about 10 minutes until they are just tender.
3. Meanwhile, cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces.
4. Pour the reserved stock back into the skillet with the sauteed veggies, add the cream and lemon juice and stir well over medium heat.
5. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat to low, and gently tap the konjac flour into the sauce while whisking rapidly with the other hand until fully incorporated.
6. Add the salmon pieces, season with sea salt and ground black pepper, add the fresh dill and stir well.
7. Spoon the salmon mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the grated cheese.
8. Bake in the oven at 400 F for about 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
   
   

Top Recipe Tips

• Use skinless salmon fillets for ease. If using skin-on fillets, carefully peel the skin off after poaching and before cutting into pieces.
• To increase protein use bone broth instead of stock.
• If you have to use dried dill, reduce amount to 3/4 TBSP and add it with the heavy cream in step #4.
• Change up the flavor a little by using a different hard cheese or blend of cheeses. Think Gouda, mozzarella, or Gruyere for example.
• This would also work with white fish if that’s what you have or can get hold of. The fat content will be lower if you do so.

• Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?
  
  

Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links

• More fish recipes
• Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
• Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
• For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!
• Check out the categories and tags at the bottom of the post to help you find more recipes using certain ingredients or from certain categories.
  
  

Podcast Episodes and You Tube Videos

• How and Why to Measure Food
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?
  
  

Substitutions

• Don’t. Just buy the correct ingredients and you, too, shall have a fabulous outcome!
• Steelhead Trout can be used instead of salmon if that fits your location or budget better.
• To make dairy-free use more oil instead of the butter, and replace the heavy cream with thick coconut milk (in a can).