Creamy Leftover Salmon (Print Version)
Flaked salmon in a creamy yogurt sauce with spinach, tomatoes, and fresh dill. Ready in 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Protein & Dairy
01 - 2 cups cooked salmon, flaked, skin and bones removed
02 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or reduced-fat crème fraîche
03 - 1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened
→ Vegetables
04 - 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
→ Broth & Seasoning
08 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried dill
10 - 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
→ To Serve
14 - 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
15 - Cooked quinoa, rice, or whole-grain pasta, optional for serving
# How-To:
01 - Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of oil or a small amount of broth, then sauté the sliced red onion and minced garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
02 - Add the chopped spinach and halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach is just wilted and the tomatoes have softened.
03 - Stir in the broth, softened cream cheese, and Greek yogurt. Cook while stirring continuously until a smooth, creamy sauce forms, about 2 minutes.
04 - Gently fold in the flaked salmon, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until the salmon is heated through.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped chives. Serve over cooked quinoa, rice, or whole-grain pasta if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It turns plain leftover salmon into something that tastes like you spent an hour on it, not twenty minutes.
- The creamy sauce comes together with Greek yogurt and cream cheese instead of heavy cream, so you get all the richness without the heaviness.
- It is genuinely flexible, working for a quick lunch or a weeknight dinner depending on what you serve it with.
02 -
- Do not let the sauce boil once the yogurt is in or it can separate and look grainy instead of silky.
- The salmon is already cooked so you are only warming it through, not cooking it further.
03 -
- Flake the salmon into chunky pieces rather than fine shreds so you get satisfying bites throughout.
- Temper the yogurt by stirring in a spoonful of warm broth before adding it to the pan, and this prevents any chance of curdling.