Pan Seared Salmon with Fennel Orange Salad and Roasted Potatoes
Last Updated on January 14, 2023 by Jacqueline Rafidi
Pan seared salmon with fennel orange salad and roasted potatoes. The weeknight meal you didn’t know you needed!
It’s not often that I share a complete meal in one recipe post. But this one was too perfect not to share. Plus, I love how all of these dishes work together and that you’re able to make one while the other cooks. Pan seared salmon with fennel orange salad and roasted potatoes is a quick and beautiful way to get a wholesome and delicious dinner on the table during the week. The potatoes roast while you make the fennel salad and sear the salmon. The flavors together are perfection! Fresh and delicious which is what I tend to gravitate to – especially in the new year.
This meal was inspired by a royal blue plate I recently got from Home Goods. I instantly knew it needed something bright orange to compliment the blue. Salmon was the first thing to come to mind but I thought it needed another pop, so why not orange? It’s currently January and fennel is in season which would be SO good with the orange and salmon together. Then the idea just grew in my mind until I got what you see here. The orange in this pan seared salmon with fennel orange salad and roasted potatoes meal is so inviting on this plate in my eyes. Isn’t it amazing how inspiration can truly come from anything!
Making the Pan seared salmon with fennel orange salad and roasted potatoes
Start with the potatoes: I use Yukon gold here. They roast so quickly and have a nice soft texture and a slightly crisp exterior. Combine the peeled and cut potatoes with the toum garlic sauce, olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Roast at 425F for about 30 minutes or until fork tender with crisp edges. This should give you enough time to make the salad and the salmon.
Prepare the fennel orange salad: Slice up your fennel thinly. You can use a mandolin for this but its not necessary – I didn’t necessarily want them paper thin here. Add the fennel to a bowl along with the pomegranate arils, then segment some oranges which just means to carefully separate the slices from the membrane using a pairing knife and add those to the bowl as well. Squeeze the cores of the oranges into a bowl, then whisk in some extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour that right over the salad, toss and that’s ready to go!
Sear that salmon: Season the salmon filets with salt, pepper and a touch of garlic powder. Sear them in a nice hot skillet, seasoned side down, at medium high heat with a neutral oil (I like to use avocado oil). Once the salmon is golden at the bottom and lifts easily off the hot skillet (2-3 minutes), it’s ready to flip and cook for another 2 mins on the other side. Cook all the filets in batches so they can each sear without poaching or steaming in the hot oil.
Plate it up and serve as desired! Don’t forget to eat the leftovers over greens! I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!
More salmon recipes to love!
Blackened salmon with walnut date gremolata
Roasted lemon garlic salmon with herby vinaigrette
When you make this pan seared salmon with fennel orange salad and roasted potatoes, comment down below and rate this recipe to let me know your thoughts! Also share a picture or tag me on Instagram @thebitewithjackie, I love seeing your remakes!
Pan Seared Salmon with Fennel Orange Salad and Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
For the roasted potatoes:
- 6-7 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and quartered
- 2 Tablespoons prepared toum sauce *See Note
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons herbs de Provence can sub for Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the fennel orange salad:
- 1 bulb fennel thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- 2 cara cara naval or blood oranges
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salmon:
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil for searing
- 2 lb salmon skin removed and cut into filets
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Serving options:
- Arugula or other green
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Add the peeled and cut potatoes to a large bowl with the toum garlic sauce, olive oil, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Give everything a toss, pour it onto a sheet pan and spread them out so they’re in one layer. Try to place the largest surface of each potato facing down to develop a golden crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes tossing once in between, or until golden and fully cooked through. Note that if you’re using another type of potato, they may take longer to roast.
- For the salad, add the sliced fennel and pomegranates to a bowl. Peel the oranges, then use a pairing knife to segment the orange slices. To do this, carefully cut between each orange slice and the membrane around it. Continue this for all the orange slices until you’re left with just the center. You want to have orange slices without pieces of the membrane attached. Continue this for the second orange. Squeeze the centers of the oranges into a bowl – this will be the start of the dressing. Then, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk and set aside.
- Prepare the salmon by seasoning each filet with salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder. Heat the oil on a skillet at medium high. Once the skillet is hot, place a couple pieces of salmon seasoned side down into the skillet. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes or until you see a golden crust developing at the bottom and it can easily lift without breaking. Flip and let it cook an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Remove to a place and continue cooking in batches with the remainder of the fish.
- To plate, I like to start with some arugula, top it with the fennel salad then add some of the roasted potatoes on the side. Top with a piece of the warm, flakey salmon and add a generous squeeze of lemon juice right on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Add the leftover salmon, potatoes and fennel salad to a bed of greens. Top with any leftover dressing from the fennel salad, or a simple mix of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.
