Panko Crusted Salmonand Israeli couscous salad with butternut squash
This panko crusted salmon has long been one of our community's favorites. This time we're serving it with a warm Israeli couscous salad packed with colorful roasted butternut squash and dried cranberries.
Smarts: Roast a double batch of butternut squash tonight and Thursday's pita pizzas will come together in a flash.
Ingredients
- Parsley - 2 tsp, chopped
- Salmon - 1 lb
- Butter - 3 Tbsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 2 1/2 Tbsp
- Maple syrup - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 tsp
- Panko breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup
- Foil - for lining pan
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Butternut squash - 1 1/2 lbs, cubed
- Brown sugar - 1 tsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 1 tsp
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Pasta, Israeli couscous - 1 cup (sub any small pasta shape)
- Parsley - 1 Tbsp, chopped
- Cranberries, dried - 1/4 cup
- Pistachios, shelled - 1/4 cup (sub walnuts or pecans)
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Squash - Peel and cube squash (prep squash for Thursday night at the same time). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Roast squash - Double if making Thursday nights’ meal. Heat oven to 425F / 218C degrees. Toss butternut squash with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Spread butternut squash out onto a sheet pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until golden and caramelized. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Cook Israeli couscous - Cook Israeli couscous according to package directions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Parsley (for salmon and couscous) - Chop parsley. Store separately. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Salmon - Divide fish up into number of servings you're making. Rinse and dry fish. Lightly salt and pepper.
- Make crust - Melt butter in the microwave (~1 minute should do). Mix butter with mustard, maple syrup, soy sauce, panko, and parsley (portion for the salmon).
Make
- Heat oven to 425F / 218C degrees.
- Line sheet pan with foil and brush with cooking oil. Add salmon and then divide and spoon crust onto fish. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes.
- If couscous and / or squash were made ahead, reheat in the microwave. (Reserve half the squash if doubled for Thursday.)
- Toss together couscous, squash, parsley (portion for couscous), cranberries, and pistachios. Taste and season with some salt and pepper. You can add a splash of balsamic vinegar if you’d like a little more tart flavor.
- Serve salmon with couscous on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
This meal has 48 reviews
So good! Made it for vegetarian friends and we all loved it.
I thought this was good. I would leave out the butternut squash though -- didn't do it for me... and one less step. I'd double the amount of couscous.
Sam loved the crust on this salmon. Didn't do the couscous. It's a quick salmon make.
loved it!
Salmon was delicious. Coucous could have used a little more oomph - maybe should have tried the balsamic vinegar splash.
Made just as indicated in recipe, but I did use chicken stock in my couscous (have a container for other recipes this week anyhow). One of my new favorites. Simply elegant and delicious. I’d make this for a dinner party. Tastes like fall, but I’ll be making this regularly all year long.