Mediterranean Bowl with Salmon

A healthy quinoa bowl complete with lemon-herb marinated salmon, garbanzo bean salad, tender quinoa, crisp greens, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and topped with homemade Tzatziki. This Mediterranean Bowl with Salmon is hearty, healthy, delicious, and makes for the perfect prep-ahead meal. It’s a balanced bowl including a great source of quality protein, healthy fats, and fiber. 

Grain bowl, quinoa bowl, salmon bowl, Mediterranean bowl – call it what you want! It’s delicious!

If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy salmon, you’ve come to the right place! This grain bowl has it all. It’s flavorful, it’s hearty, it’s healthy and it’s perfect for meal prep.

The combination of ingredients in this bowl is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. Heart-healthy olive oil, omega-3 rich wild-caught salmon, kalamata olives, rich feta cheese, garbanzo beans, perfectly cooked quinoa (or couscous), lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, avocado, and homemade Tzatziki are all part of this delicious Mediterranean bowl.

This recipe does take a little bit longer to make as compared to most of our recipes we share here on the blog but I promise, it’s worth it! PLUS this salmon bowl is well-balanced with quality protein, healthy fats, and fiber so you really don’t need to make anything else to serve with this bowl.

Additionally, this recipe can be prepped ahead (in components or as a whole) —  I’ll share more on that below!

Ingredients for Mediterranean Salmon Bowl

For the lemon-herb marinade you will need the following:

• Extra virgin olive oil – we like Primal Kitchen Olive Oil
• Lemon juice – we like to use fresh lemon juice. Check out this manual juicer here.
• Fresh oregano leaves – may substitute dried oregano
• Fresh dill -may substitute dried dill
• Garlic cloves – mmmmm garlic!
• Honey or maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness!
• Sea salt & pepper 

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For the quinoa bowl you will need the following:

• Wild-caught salmon fillets – may substitute any protein of your choice. Shrimp or chicken would also work great!
• Cooked quinoa – you could substitute couscous (not gluten-free), white or brown rice, or even cauliflower rice to make this recipe grain-free.
• Romaine or mixed greens – or any greens of choice.
• English cucumber – or any variety of cucumber.
• Cherry tomatoes – or any variety of tomatoes.
• Red onion 
• Garbanzo beans 
• Pitted kalamata olives 
• Feta cheese – omit for dairy-free.
• Avocado 

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How to make Mediterranean Bowl with Salmon

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425℉.
2. Step 2: In a small bowl combine the marinade ingredients. Place the salmon in a shallow dish. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon and marinate for 15 minutes while you begin to prepare the rest of the ingredients. Save the remaining marinade for step 4.
3. Step 3: When the marinating time is up, place salmon, skin side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for 9-12 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. If needed, cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
4. Step 4: In a bowl combine the sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and garbanzo beans. Toss with the remaining marinade. Set aside.
5. Step 5: For the Tzatziki, combine all of the Tzatziki ingredients in a bowl and mix gently to combine. Set aside. 
6. Step 6: Assemble the bowls as you please. Place a handful of greens in each bowl. Divide the marinated cucumber, cherry tomato, garbanzo bean mixture amongst the bowls. Repeat with quinoa. Add a salmon fillet (skin should easily remove from fillet) to the bowls. Lastly, top with a big dollop of Tzatziki, feta cheese crumbles, pitted kalamata olives, and avocado slices. 

How to make Tzatziki

Tzatziki is easy to make and the perfect topping for the Mediterranean and Greek-inspired recipes like this Salmon Bowl as well as our Greek Chicken Kebabs, Feta Spinach Turkey Burgers, Mediterranean Steak Bowls, or Greek Quinoa Salad. 

Here’s what you’ll need.

• English cucumber – grated and squeezed to remove water. Not all of the water needs to be removed, just a little bit so that the cucumber isn’t extremely watery. Check out this grater.
• Plain Greek yogurt – any plain greek yogurt will work (non-fat, 2%, or whole). For a dairy-free or Whole30 Tzatziki, try our Paleo Tzatziki Sauce.
• Lemon juice – we like to use fresh lemon juice. Check out this manual juicer here.
• Olive oil or avocado oil – Primal Kitchen Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• Fresh dill – You could also use dried dill if you wish. Although, fresh dill does give it a more authentic flavor.
• Garlic cloves – more garlic!
• Salt & pepper

To make the Tzatziki, simply combine all of the Tzatziki ingredients in a bowl and mix gently to combine. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

How to meal prep Mediterranean Bowls

These quinoa bowls are absolutely meal-prep friendly! The kind of recipe you can make on a Sunday to enjoy for lunches in the days to come. Here are a few suggestions on how to prep the Mediterranean Grain Bowls ahead, whether it’s for a weekend meal prep or to get a jump start on weeknight dinner.

• Weekend meal prep: follow the recipe as written. Allow the salmon to cool before assembling the bowls or in this case meal prep containers (like these ones). Once salmon has cooled, assemble the bowls, leaving off the Tzatziki and avocado. The avocado will turn brown so it’s best to add that right before serving. Additionally, the Tzatziki might make some of the other ingredients a little soggy if set too long, so we recommend adding a dollop just before enjoying it! Store the Tzatziki in a glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy the prepared bowls within 4 days of assembling.
• Dinner prep: if you plan to make this recipe for a weeknight dinner and would like to get a jump start, there are several steps you can tackle the day or two before you plan to serve the salmon bowls. These steps are as follows – make the marinade (save marinating for the day of), make the quinoa, make the garbanzo bean salad, and make the Tzatziki. Store all of these items in separate containers and place them in the fridge. All you have left is to bake the salmon and assemble the bowls, making this an easy weeknight dinner!

How to make quinoa for this Mediterranean Grain Bowl

To prepare quinoa: combine 1 part rinsed quinoa (½ cup) with 2 parts water (1 cup) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until quinoa absorbs all the liquid (this should take about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Finally, remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. 

Other bowls you’ll love:

• Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Korean-Inspired Ground Beef Bowls
• Easy Beef Taco Bowls with Salsa Ranch
• Mediterranean Steak Bowls
• One-Pan Shrimp Fajita Bowls

Pin now, make later!

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.