Mediterranean Style Salmon – Delicious and Healthy!
Since finding out that I like salmon (specifically Northwest Salmon) I’ve been enjoying experimenting with different ways to prepare and serve this delightful fish!
One of my new favorites is my easy to make Mediterranean Style Salmon.
This is one of my Restaurant Style Dishes that you can make easily in your own home in less time than it takes to pick-up takeout and for a fraction of the cost of eating out……. What could be better?
Everyone has busy lives and eating well has to be one of the most important decisions we need to make. But eating healthy doesn’t mean we need to scrimp on the flavors and my Mediterranean Style Salmon is loaded with flavor.
With a busy lifestyle, we need to find healthy flavorful dishes that we can make in a short amount of time, and of course, we need them to be cost-effective.
Since my recent find of Northwest Coho Salmon at Costco, good salmon has become affordable and since its IQF frozen, readily available.
What do I need to make Mediterranean Style Salmon?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Mediterranean style salmon. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Can I use the tapenade with other fish?
Yes, you can. This topping will be a wonderful addition to any of your favorite white flesh fish.
These are some of my favorites:
- Mahi-Mahi
- Grouper
- Red Snapper
- Flounder
You can make the feta-olive tapenade ahead of time to even save yourself, even more, time and do yourself a favor and make a little extra because you’re going to love the flavor of my feta-olive tapenade. It should be served cold on top of the cooked salmon.
Do I have to use Feta Cheese in this Tapenade?
No, you don’t.
I also like this tapenade with Bleu Cheese or Gorgonzola.
If you’re not fond of cheese you can leave it out altogether.
It makes a great bruschetta topping and would be delicious with grilled chicken or any other fish. Serve this dish with your favorite side dish or just a salad and you have a healthy delicious restaurant-style dinner on your table in less than 30 minutes!
If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like these recipes:
- Blackened Salmon with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
- Pan Seared Halibut
- How to Poach Mahi-Mahi (or your favorite fish)
- Grilled Atlantic Rockfish
Mediterranean Style Salmon
Ingredients
- 2 salmon filets Sockeye, Coho or Atlantic
- 1/2 cup mixed olives
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1/3 cup feta crumbles
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar or more to taste
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Salmon
- preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- rinse the salmon under cold running water
- remove skin from salmon if still attached by careful running a knife between the skin and flesh of the salmon
- sprinkle the top of the salmon with sea salt and black pepper
- place the salmon in a baking dish with a little water in the dish to keep the salmon from drying out
- place the dish in oven and bake for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and top with the cold feta-olive tapenade
Tapenade
- chop the mixed olives and tomatoes in a small dice
- finely chop Italian parsley
- mix the olives, tomatoes, parsley and feta crumbles together adding the olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- season to taste with sea salt and black pepper
- Top the salmon liberally with the feta-olive tapenade and serve
Nutrition
Michelle
This was so delicious, easy enough for a weeknight, impressive enough for company. We made the recipe as directed mostly. Subbed sundried tomatoes for the fresh ones, and served on a bed of baby spinach. Had tabbouleh on the side.
Jerry Brennan
I did the exact same thing this evening, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach…..prior to reading the comments and saw that you, too, did this. Great minds think alike!
😎
Delicious
Christine Dahlberg
I made this with no tweaks except I baked the salmon in an open top aluminum foil boat I made with a little water in the bottom. Super delicious and super easy to make. I served it with couscous fritters made from leftover couscous . I really impressed myself and my dinner companion. It also looked as impressive as it tasted good
Addison
These flavors are so fresh! What a delicious dinner!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This dish looks SO deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right now!
jill
I can’t wait to make this for my sister. She will love it so much! Thanks for sharing!
Jamie
My family will love this salmon! Great flavors!
Kim Guzman
Yum! Those olives make a perfect pairing with the salmon.
FOODHEAL
Salmon and olives must be so delicious… I love this recipe
Andréa Janssen
A really flavorful salmon. I loved the tapenade topping!
Julia
Wow! I usually never make salmon because I feel like I can never get it properly flavored and it just comes out fishy. This is so flavorful, with just some simple toppings!
Alexandra
Delicious flavours! The Mediterranean topping works so well with the salmon.
Deb
Can you tell us how much balsamic? Measurement is missing.
Chef Dennis Littley
sorry about that, and thanks for letting me know.
it is 1/2 teaspoon or to your taste.
Stan
Absolutely fantastic recipe! Beautiful flavor…will make again!
Sam
How much oil and vinegar do you add?
Chef Dennis Littley
its more or less to your tastes. it doesn’t need very much, 1/2 tsp oil 1/4 tsp vinegar
Sam
Thank you! I made this for several people tonight and everyone loved it! I followed your recipe exactly and the salmon came out perfectly cooked and so tender. The tapenade is delicious! It was definitely “restaurant quality” made right in my own kitchen. Thanks for a great recipe! I will look for more of your recipes to try.
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for the great comment and review Sam!
Gina
Made this! We loved this! Definitely a repeat!
Karen West
Chef Dennis, We are excited to discover your blog! We spend winters on a boat in the Caribbean. Warm weather meals are a must, the simpler the better but they must be fresh and clean and high in protein. This recipe is a winner…checks all the boxes for us as it is colorful, fresh, full of flavor and screaming to be morphed into other tasty noshes. Thanks for sharing!
Karen and Steve West
S/V Sinneton
~~~_/)~~~
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks Karen and I hope you find more recipes to help keeps things delicious in your kitchen!
Marina
We loved it! All clean plates st our house. I put the salmon with the tapenade on back in the oven a few minutes to give a tiny melt to the feta, as I have another recipe that roasts the olives and tomatoes before serving. Also used a touch of white wine instead of water when baking the salmon. Thank you chef Dennis!!! We will be back to try more if your wonderful recipes.
Chef Dennis Littley
Hi Marina
I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed my recipe! It’s a delicious way to enjoy salmon for sure! I hope you get to enjoy more of my delicious recipes!
Kd80
I have made this at least half a dozen times since finding this recipe back in May and I just have to give you props! This is the most delicious salmon recipe I’ve ever tried. It’s even better cold the next day. Thank you for posting!
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you so much for letting me know you’ve been enjoying my recipe!
Medicinal value of food
Gorgeous looks insisting to try it now. Thanks for sharing.
Chef Dennis Littley
You are very welcome!
Eshika Roy
I literally started having hunger pangs halfway through the post. It looks amazing and I bet it also tastes delicious too. It is the perfect dish to cook up in this season. I can’t wait to try it . Looking forward to reading more delectable recipes in the upcoming posts.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to try it soon
Bec
The whole dish looks great – but that feta-olive tapenade looks amazing – I imagine using it for heaps more!!! Thanks!
Paul Carrig
Just made this for me and my girlfriend.
I served it with lemon and rosemary rice and it was delicious.
This is the first time I’ve cooked salmon without the skin on and in water in the oven, it came out so good. Finally the tapenade was so good and a perfect compliment to the salmon.
Such a good recipe than you chef 😀
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Paul
I’m very happy to hear that my salmon recipe was a hit at your house! Remember to always add a little water to the pan whenever you oven roast fish, to help it stay moist.
Now you have to try my tiramisu recipe and really wow your girlfriend!
Paul Carrig
If only she liked coffee! Anything else that would be a nice follow dessert to this recipe?
I made this again tonight but used sun dried tomato rice and did cajun season king prawns with it…..delicious! Easily my favourite recipe I’ve found this year. Thanks chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
A strawberry gelato or lemon gelato would be a good choice.
Robin E.
I am planning on using this delicious-looking recipe for my New Year’s Eve party but I do have a question. Do you usually heat up the tapenade or is it served cold/room temperature? Thanks!!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Robin
I thought about heating it up but ended up serving at room temp. I think that was definitely the way to go, I think heating it would make the flavor profile too intense.
John
Outstanding recipe! I changed the Salmon a little to bake in foil (olive oil/lemon juice), but made the tapenade exactly. One of the best Samon dishes I’ve tried on my own. High marks from my fiancée. Thanks for this!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe John, the tapenade is an excellent way to enjoy salmon!
Brenda Morgan
Hi Chef Dennis! I love your recipes! This salmon looks fantastic. I have salmon in the freezer, so this is dinner tonight! Thank you for such simple yet awesome recipes!
Chef Dennis Littley
Your welcome Brenda and thank you for stopping by my blog today! I hope you find more recipes to keep you coming back
Rachel Pourchier
Fabulous and super easy to prepare
Chef Dennis Littley
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Rachel!
Jamie Kennedy
I see your response that you do not post calories, but just another comment on that; if recipes are listed under “healthy” it would be helpful to know nutritional information, not just calories. There are many people out here these days with different types of diet restrictions who need to know that information. There are programs like Mastercook that calculate that, and that you could use to find that information. It’s a nuisance to put all of a recipe in, and then discover that it does not fall within restrictions you might have.
Chef Dennis Littley
I would suggest anyone on that type of diet, use one of those programs for all of their meals before cooking. I’m on a low calorie , GF, Soy Free diet myself and pretty much use common sense. If you’re on a restricted diet having that program to input all your meals is something each individual should do. Most cookbooks and magazine recipes don’t include nutritional information.
thanks for your input.
Modi Sikhosana
Can I order your cook book?
Chef Dennis Littley
I don’t have a cookbook Modi, but thank you for asking.
Alberta Gittelsohn
Please post calories for your wonderful healthy recipes. I need to know! Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley
Sorry Alberta, but I don’t figure out calories of my recipes or supply any nutritional info, just the recipe I use to make my dishes.
Kim Bultman | a little lunch
Dennis, I always have salmon in the freezer — plus tapenade is a favorite o’mine. Genius flavor combo… you ROCK!!!
Maureen
Hi Chef Dennis. This is just so mouthwatering. Definitely perfect to eat with rice. I love salmon. It looks so amazing!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Maureen, I’m happy to hear you like my Salmon!
Liz
Yum – thanks so much and Have Easter to you!
Chef Dennis Littley
your welcome Liz, Happy Easter to you as well!
LindY G
I am a big fan of salmon, the recipe sounds so delicious. Thank you bunches for sharing.
Chef Dennis Littley
I love tapenade Lindy and its a nice addition to salmon, hope you enjoy it!
[email protected]
Mouthwatering Chef, that’s great stuff. I love the look of the rice you have served it with. Bookmarked, again.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Minnie!
constance Schecher
an absolutely fabulous recipe for salmon salmon is not only my favorite but it’s very good for your brain and your heart organs big time for real so eat Good and Plenty and I don’t mean the candy
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Constance! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe
Larry
This sounds totally delicious and must be tried
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Larry, it was pretty awesome!