Soy Maple Salmon Bowls with Broccoli, Delicata Squash, and Quinoa

These soy maple salmon bowls are a delicious, healthy balanced meal to enjoy for a weeknight dinner. These bowls take less than an hour to prepare and are easy to make!

Whenever I’m lacking inspiration for dinner ideas, salmon bowls are my go-to meal to make. I love salmon simply baked with lemon and garlic, and also love it with Asian inspired flavors.

This soy maple salmon is a delicious and different way to prepare salmon, if you are looking to mix up your dinner repertoire. Paired with quinoa, roasted delicata squash, and broccoli, these bowls have the perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors.

To get that crispy, charred and caramelized salmon, we broil the salmon in this recipe instead of baking. If you’ve never broiled salmon, don’t be nervous! It’s actually one of the easiest ways to prepare the fish, and tastes amazing.

More delicious healthy quinoa recipes to try: kimchi fried quinoa, quinoa beet salad with butternut squash, and Mediterranean gluten free quinoa salad.

Ingredients in soy maple salmon bowls

Here are the ingredients you need to make soy maple salmon bowls. I’ve noted any substitutions in the descriptions, but feel free to leave a comment if you have questions!

• Salmon: Of course, you need salmon for this recipe. Ideally, you should purchase the salmon no more than one day before you plan on cooking it so it stays very fresh.
• Soy sauce: I used reduced sodium soy sauce for this recipe. To make it gluten free, use tamari instead.
• Maple syrup: This balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce in the glaze for the salmon. You can use honey for similar results.
• Sesame oil: Just a little bit goes a long way and adds delicious Asian-inspired flavor to the salmon.
• Lemon juice: If you don’t have lemon, you can use lime juice or even 1-2 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar for a similar flavor profile.
• Ginger: Grated fresh ginger tastes amazing in this soy maple salmon glaze.
• Garlic: Because every savory recipe is better with garlic!
• Broccoli: Simply steamed broccoli is a side in this bowl. You can substitute another non-starchy veggie like cauliflower, green beans, or Brussels sprouts if you’d like.
• Delicata squash: I love this winter squash because it is easy to prepare, sweet, and delicious. If you have another winter squash on hand such as butternut, you can use that instead.
• Quinoa: This is one of my favorite grains to use in bowl recipes. You could also use brown rice, farro, or whole wheat couscous.
• Cilantro, sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds: garnishes that add a lot of flavor.
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and paprika for seasoning.

How to make soy maple salmon bowls

1. First, slice the delicata squash into half moons, season, and roast in the oven.
2. While the squash is in the oven, prepare the soy maple salmon glaze by whisking together all the ingredients. Use a food brush to brush each piece of salmon with the glaze.
3. Cook quinoa according to package instructions on the stovetop. Learn how to cook quinoa here!
4. When the squash is done cooking, remove from the oven and re-set the oven to broil.
5. Broil the salmon in the oven.
6. While the salmon is broiling, steam the broccoli on the stovetop.
7. Assemble bowls with quinoa, broccoli, delicata squash, salmon, and garnishes.

Tips to make this recipe perfectly

Set the broiler to high, which should be around 500 degrees F. This ensures the food is actually broiling, and not just roasting, giving the salmon that crispy, caramelized crust.

Keep an eye on the broiling salmon to avoid over cooking it. Take a peek through the oven glass to make sure the salmon is not burning on top. If your salmon is super thick, you may need to bake it for a couple minutes after broiling to cook it all the way through. If you cut into a piece of the salmon, it will be done when the flesh is opaque.

Don’t line the baking pan with parchment paper for your salmon. I learned this the hard way – the broil setting is too hot for parchment paper, and it will burn to a crisp in the oven. You could use tin foil instead to line the pan.

If you love this recipe, you may also like

• Peanut Tofu Bowls
• Green Goddess Grain Bowls with Avocado Miso Dressing
• Healthy Barbecue Salmon Caesar Salad

Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!

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