This dish is seriously such a powerhouse of a weeknight meal – hence why I called it a power bowl! In general, I just really love bowls. They make such an easy weeknight meal, and you can customize them with literally anything. I might start a food blog that just specializes in bowls…okay, maybe not, but that’s how much I love them!
You really only need a few necessities to build a good bowl base. You’ll need some kind of grain,—rice, farro, quinoa, barley, bulgar, etc.—a protein—meat, beans, lentils, chickpeas—some veggies, a sauce, and some toppings like seeds, nuts, or herbs.
The basis for a good bowl is easy, the task is just to figure out the right combination for you and your taste that day.
feel the power
What makes this particular bowl a power bowl? The thing I was really trying to achieve with this meal was a perfect blend of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. I’m not vegetarian, but I do try to reduce my intake of meat and embrace more of a Mediterranean lifestyle. And part of that includes incorporating more seafood into my diet. I love salmon, because it’s not super expensive for fish, but it’s extremely versatile and almost always turns out good. You can have it hot or cold, and it can be prepared in a variety of different ways.
While salmon gives us our healthy fats and a protein boost, so do the white beans and edamame giving this dish that ultimate power! And while I do try to limit my carb intake (unless you put a plate of pasta in front of me, lol), I love to incorporate hearty grains like farro.
assembling your bowl
What I love about this dish is how easy it is to put together. Baking isn’t always my preferred method for cooking salmon, but it’s perfect for this dish, because all you need is a touch of oil and seasoning, and you can throw it into the oven while you prep the rest of the meal.
While the salmon is baking, you just need to grab a large bowl and toss together the cooked farro, cannelloni beans (or other white beans like Great Northerns), artichokes, edamame, pine nuts, and herbs.
Then, you whisk up your dressing, which is a mix of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Super easy.
The only thing you want to make sure of is that your salmon is at room temp before you mix it up with the other ingredients and the dressing. Sometimes I’ll pop it into the fridge for a few just to get the temperature down, and then I’ll mix everything together.
And that’s all it takes! I hope you feel as powerful as I did eating this meal 💪
⟶ the recipe
salmon & white bean power bowl
ingredients
1 pound salmon
1/2 cup cooked farro
1 15-ounce can of cannelloni beans, rinsed
1 cup chopped artichokes
2 cups frozen edamame, thawed
½ cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
3 green onions, chopped (separate white parts from the green parts)
For the dressing
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
45 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub salmon with cooking oil and a bit of salt and pepper.
Place salmon skin-side-down in a baking dish lined with foil and bake for about 15 minutes, or until salmon is flaky and opaque on the inside. Remove salmon from the baking dish and set aside to cool.
While salmon is baking, in a large bowl, toss together the farro, cannelloni beans, artichokes, edamame, pine nuts, dill, parsley, and the white parts of the green onions.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Once the salmon has cooled to about room temperature, use two forks to shred it, removing any skin and bones. Stir the salmon into the bean mixture, and toss everything with the dressing.
Refrigerate bowl until ready to serve, and top with the green parts of the onion as desired.
⟶ recipe notes
- It’s important to make sure the salmon is completely cooled before mixing it into the bowl, as this dish is best served pretty cold. I would also leave enough time to pop it in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving!
⟶ modifications
- Make this vegetarian by skipping the salmon. You don’t really need to substitute with any other protein since the beans and edamame are packed with it. The only thing I would recommend adding if you don’t use the salmon is avocado for a boost of healthy fat
⟶ make it ahead
- You can cook the salmon ahead of time, shred it, and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the bowl
- I also like to make dressings ahead of time and refrigerate. Then, it’ll be ready for you to toss into the bowl when needed!
