Salmon with Lemon Couscous Recipe

Salmon with Lemon Couscous
Craig van der Lende/Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images
  • 25 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: Serves 3-4
Ratings (9)

By Linda Larsen

Updated 01/31/18

This fabulous and heathy recipe for Salmon with Lemon Couscous is special enough for company. The recipe is also easy enough for even beginning cooks to make.

When you're broiling salmon, you need to watch it every minute. The fish can go from perfectly cooked to overcooked to burned in a matter of seconds. Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F, which is medium, so that means salmon that's pink in the center is okay. You could make this recipe with tuna fillets as well, or any other type of white fish fillet. Red snapper or haddock would also be delicious in this recipe.

Couscous is not a grain, but a tiny pasta commonly made in the Middle East. You don't actually cook it; you rehydrate the little beads in hot liquid. Using chicken broth adds extra flavor to this special recipe. You could also use fish stock if you'd like.

Also think about using other vegetables in this easy couscous recipe. Some baby peas would be nice, as would steamed asparagus cut into 1" pieces. You could also flavor it with other herbs. Thyme or basil is always nice with fish, especially salmon. Or if you like spicy food, stir some crushed red pepper flakes into the couscous and sprinkle it on the salmon.

Serve it with roasted asparagus, a green salad, and meringues with low fat yogurt for dessert.

What You'll Need

  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion
  • 1-3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1-1/4 cups plain couscous
  • 1 pound salmon fillets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

How to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to broil.
  2. Squeeze lemon juice from the lemon and grate 1 teaspoon zest; set aside.
  3. In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion until tender, about 4 to 50 minutes.
  4. Stir in green onion, lemon juice, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and lemon zest, cover, remove the pan from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.
  5. Brush the salmon fillets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place, skin side down, on broiler pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill. Broil for 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness, 6" from the heat source. (Or, if using frozen prepared salmon fillets, bake or broil as directed on package.)
  1. Stir the grape tomatoes into the couscous and place on a serving dish. Serve salmon on couscous; sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions, if desired.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 504
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Unsaturated Fat 9 g
Cholesterol 76 mg
Sodium 394 mg
Carbohydrates 46 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Protein 36 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)