One pot steamed salmon is a delicious, simple meal, and this garlic soy chili sauce recipe from my friend Susanna pulls this dish together and makes it SO good.
I ate too much steamed salmon last year and have been on hiatus for a while, but I’m back and remember why I love it. Super simple cleanup, veggies and salmon cooked in the same pan, and everything just comes together with the final addition of the sauce.
I choose to use longer cooking veggies in this one pot dish as I wanted a higher amount of volume of veggies, which when cooked in this method might turn some veggies like broccoli turn mushy. Some of the eggplant (the ones near the bottom / closest to the direct heat) turns buttery soft while the celery is able to keep its crunch as the salmon fully cooks.
Lastly, I get a lot of questions about how this is steamed and if the parchment paper is really necessary. From the feedback I’ve received, you can do this without the parchment paper. I like the parchment as I think it more gently cooks the veggies and fish, and make cleanup very easy. Regarding the water – the addition of the 1/3 cup of water is is to help steam the contents inside of the parchment. I’ve actually forgotten to add the water before and the dish still turns out totally fine and delicious. You may have a slightly darkened piece of parchment paper near the bottom, but just be careful and lower the heat if you begin to smell burning.
This dish is amazing when it works. However, every stove is different and to get the cook time right requires a bit of trial and error. I hope you all give this a try and love it as much as I do!
One Pot Steamed Salmon, Celery, and Eggplant with Garlic Soy Chili Sauce
Ingredients
For the Salmon and Veggies
- 16 ounces salmon
- 7 stalks celery – cut on a bias
- 2 eggplant – I use 2 small Chinese eggplants
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1/3 cup water
For the Garlic Soy Chili Oil Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic – minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon black vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
Instructions
- Prep your veggies – chop the celery on a bias into about 1/2″ thick, and roll cut the eggplant. Mince the garlic for your sauce if you prefer this over grating.
- Add the veggies to a mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and 2 big pinches of salt. If you’re using less veggies (this should be around 4-5 cups raw), add a big less oil and salt. Let this sit while you work on prepping the salmon.
- Slice the salmon into 3 ounce portions and salt.
- In a large pan or pot with a cover, add 2 large pieces of parchment paper. You might need a third since there is quite a bit of volume to cover with all the veggies. Add all the veggies directly onto the parchment paper and add the water inside the parchment paper. Add the salmon on top the veggies. Drizzle with another tablespoon of neutral oil, then bring the parchment together to seal the veggies and fish. Cover with the lid and turn the heat to medium high. If you have an electric stove or really hot stove, start on medium heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, checking the doneness of the fish at 15 minutes.
- As this is cooking, make the sauce. Combine everything in a bowl and whisk together.
- Once the salmon is cooked (the veggies should also be cooked at this time), plate over rice or quinoa and drizzle the sauce on top of the salmon and veggies. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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