The bulb of the fennel plant is an absolute favorite ingredient of mine, and when roasted with tomatoes, onions and peas, it turns into a savory stew that stands up to the flakey lemony salmon. This is one of those dishes that’s incredibly easy to make if you’re doing a million other things, and you can easily substitute other vegetables you find at the farmer’s market.
Salmon with roasted spring vegetables
Serves 4
1 large fennel bulb, sliced
1 large red onion, diced into wedges
6 cloves garlic
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup of fresh peas
1/2 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
1 lemon, halved
Fennel fronds for garnish
Make the dish
Heat oven to 400° F. Place the fennel, onion, garlic, tomatoes, peas, thyme sprigs in a roasting pan (or any baking dish). Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper to coat. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan and place the fillets in the center. Squeeze the lemon over the salmon, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Return to oven and roast until the fillets are the same color throughout and flake easily, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer salmon and vegetables to individual plates. Garnish with fennel fronds.
