Sweet-tart pomegranate brightens the flavors of salmon and earthy lentils; add Swiss chard and you have a satisfying meal with a varied nutritional profile. While chard stems are often discarded, they have great flavor, so we softened them with aromatics before simmering with our lentils, stirring in the leaves near the end of cooking. For the salmon, we wanted sweetness without a sugary glaze, so we painted it with pomegranate molasses. Fresh pomegranate seeds tied the dish together. Skin-on salmon holds together best during cooking, and the skin helps keep the fish moist. If your salmon is less than 1 inch thick, start checking for doneness early. If using farmed salmon, cook until thickest part registers 125 degrees. Lentilles du Puy, also called French green lentils, are our first choice, but brown, black, or regular green lentils will work (cooking times will vary). Pomegranate molasses can be found in the international aisle of well-stocked supermarkets; if you can’t find it, substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon mild molasses.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed, ½ cup stems chopped fine, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup lentilles du Puy, picked over and rinsed
- 4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on wild-caught salmon fillets, 1 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chard stems, onion, garlic, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and lentils and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are mostly tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Uncover lentils and stir in chard leaves. Increase heat to medium-low and continue to cook until chard leaves are tender, about 4 minutes. Off heat, discard thyme sprigs, stir in 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste; cover to keep warm.
- Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Brush with remaining 1 teaspoon oil, then brush with 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses and season with salt and pepper. Once oven reaches 500 degrees, reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Remove sheet from oven, carefully place salmon skin-side down on hot sheet. Roast until center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 120 degrees (for medium-rare), 4 to 6 minutes.
- Brush salmon with remaining 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses. Slide fish spatula along underside of fillets and transfer to individual plates or serving platter; discard skin. Stir pomegranate seeds into lentil mixture and serve with salmon.
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 460 kcal Calories from Fat: 153 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 17 g 49% |
Saturated Fat 2.5 g 13% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Cholesterol 60 mg 20% |
Sodium 510 mg 9% |
carbohydrates 41 g 32% |
Dietary Fiber 10 g 26% |
Sugars 9 g 10% |
Protein 37 g 74% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |
