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Lemon Garlic Salmon with Asparagus and Basmati Rice

Salmon fillets roasted with garlic, lemon and black pepper alongside tender asparagus, served with fluffy basmati rice. A gluten-free dinner with 34g of protein, ready in 30 minutes.

Dinner

30

Serves 2

A white plate with a roasted salmon fillet topped with a lemon slice, a bundle of roasted asparagus spears and fluffy white basmati rice, with a fork beside it on a wooden table

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless salmon fillets (about 130g/4½oz each)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (about 8g), finely chopped
  • Finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon (about 15ml juice), plus 2 lemon slices
  • 250g/9oz asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
  • 120g/4oz/⅔ cup white basmati rice, rinsed
  • Half a tsp dried oregano, 2 pinches of salt (1 for the rice) and plenty of black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan, 400F). Put the rice in a pan with 240ml/1 cup of water and a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Lay the salmon and asparagus on a lined baking tray, about 30x40cm (12x16in), and spoon the garlic mixture over both. Top each fillet with a lemon slice.
  3. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and the salmon is opaque and flakes easily in the thickest part, or reads 63C (145F) on a food thermometer.
  4. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the salmon and asparagus, spooning over any juices from the tray.
  5. Leftover salmon keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; eat it cold or reheat until steaming hot. Cool any leftover rice within an hour, keep it in the fridge, eat it within 24 hours and reheat it only once until steaming hot.

Why it works

A plate gives you about 34g of protein for 580 calories, most of it from the salmon.

Why salmon. Salmon is one of the richest food sources of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, and it also provides vitamin D, which few foods contain. The NHS advises at least two portions of fish a week, one of them oily, like salmon.

Why it is tagged for testosterone and sleep. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to lower testosterone in observational studies, although supplement trials in men without a deficiency show mixed results. One small trial in men found that eating salmon three times a week over the winter was linked to better sleep, but the evidence is limited.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. The rice brings 51g of carbohydrate, inside our limit for the blood sugar tag, and the protein and fat from the salmon help slow how quickly it is absorbed. Use brown basmati for more fibre; it needs about 25 minutes to cook.

Contains fish. One tray cooks the salmon and asparagus together, and both are ready in the time the rice takes. For another salmon dinner, try the teriyaki salmon with rice.