Grilled Salmon + Broccolini Bowls with Creamy Ginger Miso Sauce
Simple grilled salmon and broccolini get served over a bed of warm rice with crunchy cucumbers and slathered in a flavor-packed creamy miso ginger walnut sauce. Use any protein, veggie, and grain you want – it’s all about the sauce!
Ingredient highlight
Salmon! the fish we all love because it’s flaky, fatty and a lot harder to overcook/mess up than other fish. It also happens to be packed with more nutrients than I have space to talk about here. It’s one of the most nutritious fish because of it’s super high omega-3 fat content (DHA and EPA). It’s also a great source of protein, potassium, selenium, and vitamin B12.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 8 minutes Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lbs wild salmon, cut into 4 filets
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 tso kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 bunches (~1 lb) broccolini*
- 4 cups cooked rice or other grain
- 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- Chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Lemon wedges
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2-3 inch knob ginger**
- 1/4 cup water
- *Broccolini can be expensive or hard to find, so easily substitute with or add any other veggie you like to grill (thinly sliced broccoli, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, etc…)
- **I don’t usually bother peeling ginger unless it looks really dirty or the skin looks really thick. I buy organic and give it a good rinse.
- Note: ~ I used a combo of jasmine white rice and quinoa that I cooked together in the Instant Pot. 1 cup quinoa + 1 cups jasmine rice (rinsed) + 2 ½ cups water + ½ teaspoon salt on high pressure for 4 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, then manually release.
Instructions
- If your rice or grain isn’t cooked, cook it!
- Heat your grill on high for at least 15 minutes, then turn to medium-high heat.
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and pepper onto the salmon, then use your hands to rub it all around the flesh. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon salt all over the broccolini and rub it all over (make sure to rub/massage the oil into the heads).
- Place the salmon on one side of the grill (skin-side-down) and broccolini on the other. Grill, covered, for 4-6 minutes or until the salmon is almost all the way cooked through and broccolini is beginning to char.
- Flip the salmon and turn/rotate to broccolini and let cook for 1-2 more minutes or until salmon is cooked through and broccolini is tender and lightly charred.
- Transfer the broccolini and salmon to a cutting board and chop the broccolini into bite-sized pieces. If your salmon skin is very burnt, you can peel it off.
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the sauce ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
- Serve the salmon and broccolini over a bed of warm rice/grains. Add the cucumber and top with the sauce, cilantro, sesame seeds (if using), and squeeze lemon generously all over.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 2 cups rice or grains (about 4 cups cooked)
- Peel and chop 1 cucumber
- Chop cilantro or thinly sliced scallions
- Make the sauce
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, use baked tofu or cooked edamame in place of the salmon.
- You could use any protein here instead of salmon (grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, etc…)
- To make nut-free, use ½ cup hemp seeds in place of the walnuts (or try with ⅓ cup tahini).
- Can’t find miso paste? Substitute with an extra tablespoon of soy sauce and use a heaping ½ cup of walnuts. Be sure to taste and add more salt if needed.
- Broccolini can be expensive or hard to find, so easily substitute with or add any other veggie you like to grill (carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, etc…)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Salmon: up to 3 days in the fridge
- Rice/grains: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Sauce: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Broccolini: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover grains, salmon, and broccolini in the microwave until warmed through. Top with plenty of sauce, herbs, nuts or seeds, and lots of fresh lemon juice.
- Make it a salad! Thin out the sauce with some water and toss with greens + cucumber (option to also add grains into the mix). Top with salmon, herbs, seeds, and more dressing.
- Add chopped avocado.
