This spinach stuffed salmon recipe satisfies all of my requirements for weeknight meals—it’s easy, healthy, and full of flavor. The combination of roasted red peppers, capers, garlic, lemon, and spinach instantly transports me to my favorite part of the world, enjoying a cold glass of white wine, fresh fish, and a view of the Mediterranean. Rather than serving a side of creamed spinach or spinach salad, I make a spinach filling with my favorite flavor boosters. The fragrant filling then pulls double-duty by infusing the salmon as it bakes. I gravitated towards capers and lemon to balance the richness of the fish, but I decided to take it further with preserved lemon for an even more vibrant flavor and burst of umami. Finally, there’s creaminess from a dollop of Greek yogurt, mellow heat from Aleppo pepper, and smoky sweetness from fire-roasted red peppers. Like my stuffed tomatoes with tuna, this meal feels as special as my favorite dinners in Barcelona but I can get it on the table in just over half an hour. No transatlantic flight needed!
Ingredients for This Stuffed Salmon with Spinach
As a baker, my job usually has me surrounded by sweets during the day. So for dinner, I can’t get enough of anything savory, refreshingly bright, and briny!
Salmon: Opt for a thicker filet, which is easier to fit more of the spinach stuffing. Shallot: Shallots are sweet flavor-builders that are milder than onions. Their smaller size gives just the right amount for the spinach filling. You can substitute with yellow or green onions if you’d like. Garlic: Garlic makes almost everything better. Sautéing the garlic tames its pungency for an irresistibly sweet, nutty flavor. Spinach: Baby spinach is milder and sweeter than regular spinach. Roasted red peppers: I like to use fire-roasted red peppers (homemade or store-bought) for an extra smoky punch of flavor. You can also use piquillo peppers or regular roasted red peppers. Capers: Tiny capers have it all. They’re salty, briny, savory, and a natural pairing with lemon, like in chicken piccata. Preserved lemon: Lemon that has been pickled in a salt brine. It has a savory, pickled flavor that’s both more mellow and more complex than fresh lemon. You can often find it in the international section of your grocery store, order online, or make your own. You can also substitute with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Greek yogurt: A couple of spoonfuls of full-fat Greek yogurt adds tangy creaminess and helps hold the filling together without diluting the other flavors. Aleppo pepper: Aleppo pepper has less heat than other crushed red pepper but a more complex tart and fruity flavor. You can order Aleppo pepper from our shop, find it in the spice section of select grocery stores, or substitute it with chili flakes. Lemon juice: Helps to cut through rich salmon and brighten it. I like to add a squeeze of lemon juice just before baking and serve the salmon with extra lemon wedges on the side. Salt and pepper: Salt enhances the other flavors in the dish and freshly ground black pepper adds depth and vibrant spice.
How to Make Stuffed Salmon with Spinach
Get ready. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with a thin layer of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons). Get your seasonings ready. Finely dice 2 roasted red peppers (if you want to roast them yourself, follow this method). Peel and finely dice 1 shallot. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Drain and roughly chop 2 tablespoons capers. Finely chop 1 preserved lemon (peel and pith included). Prepare the spinach. Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 5 ounces of baby spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Dry the spinach mixture. Scrape the wilted spinach into a fine-mesh strainer. Set the strainer over a small bowl or hold it over the sink while you use the spoon to press the spinach against the strainer a few times to drain the excess water. Make the filling. Transfer the spinach mixture to a cutting board, roughly chop, then add it to a medium bowl. Add the roasted red peppers, capers, preserved lemon, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of black pepper. Stir to combine. Make a pocket for the filling. Pat the salmon dry. If you’re using whole salmon filet, slice it into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each), then use a sharp knife to cut a slit down the side of each filet without cutting through to the other side. Season the salmon all over with salt and pepper, including inside the pockets. Stuff and bake. Arrange the salmon skin-side down in the pan. Sprinkle the filets with extra Aleppo pepper if you’d like a little more heat and squeeze the juice from half a lemon. Spoon a quarter of the filling into each pocket. Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.
Swaps and Substitutions
Most of these ingredients are pantry staples in my house, but you can customize this stuffed salmon recipe to what you regularly have on hand or your favorite flavors.
If you don’t have preserved lemons: Substitute with 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. It won’t have the same savory, briny flavor, but it will still be deliciously lemony. Shallot: Replace with half of a small onion (any color, but I like red) or even a couple of sliced scallions. Capers: Green or black olives are always an alternative to capers. Roasted red peppers: Use umami-rich sundried tomatoes. Spinach: Swap for Swiss chard, rainbow chard, beet greens, or even kale. To make this recipe dairy-free: Skip the Greek yogurt. You can keep the creaminess if you substitute it with 1 tablespoon of tahini or 2 tablespoons of unsweetened plant-based sour cream. Adjust the seasoning: For weeknight dinners, I want a balance between lots of flavor and a short ingredient list. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add some extra herbs and spices to the filling. Or, you can rub seasonings into the salmon, my favorites being sweet Spanish paprika, sumac, harissa paste, dill, or tarragon.
What to Eat with Spinach Stuffed Salmon
This spinach-stuffed salmon is simple enough for a weeknight meal. I like to pair it with sides that are easy to make and go well with other meals I plan on making during the week. Take advantage of your empty stovetop with a side of golden saffron rice or a salad like this Greek green bean salad (this recipe is what you see in the photos with the salmon) or this colorful asparagus salad. Or you can do it all in the oven—this roasted fennel or these Greek potatoes roast at the same temperature as the salmon. I was surprised by how much I loved a filet of salmon served on top of garlicky mashed sweet potatoes during a leisurely lunch on a recent trip to Barcelona. Browse all Mediterranean Recipes.
Baked Lemon Garlic Salmon
Broiled Salmon (Quick and Easy Recipe)
Za’atar Garlic Salmon Recipe
Simple Poached Salmon
Visit Our Shop. Stock your pantry to start eating the Mediterranean Way! Includes Coriander, Cardamom, Allspice, Cumin, Za’atar, Sumac, Aleppo Pepper, Organic Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Tahini.
