LIGHTER COCONUT CURRY SALMON

February 15, 2023

I am always looking for new ways to make salmon, and this Lighter Coconut Curry Salmon is a keeper! It's got flaky salmon, a flavorful coconut curry broth, fresh spices, and tender vegetables. I love it served over basmati rice! This recipe is lower in fat, high in protein, dairy free and gluten free. 

Did you know? Sockeye salmon is the most vibrant and flavorful salmon variety, with medium fat content. Coho salmon and wild Atlantic salmon have a similar fat content but less flavor and color. King (chinook) salmon and farmed Atlantic salmon are both higher fat content but slightly less vibrant. Wild Atlantic salmon, pink salmon, and chum salmon are low in fat and have mild flavor. (source)

Choosing the best salmon

Let me start by saying, the best salmon is fresh salmon! While testing this recipe, I found that frozen salmon did not cook as well as fresh salmon. The frozen salmon oozed white saline and did not sear well. Wild salmon is preferable, with lower omega-6 fats and fewer contaminants (PCBs and dioxins) than farmed. Even still, farmed salmon offers plenty of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats... and contaminant levels have decreased due to regulations in recent years. Both are a healthy choice!

I went with wild Atlantic salmon since I could not find sockeye salmon in my grocery store.

What makes it lighter?

I made this coconut curry salmon "lighter" by using lite coconut milk and sugar free brown sugar alternative. You could use full fat coconut milk for a richer broth, or regular brown sugar if that's all you have (it's such a small amount). I also used minimal avocado oil for cooking to keep the fat down. 

What vegetables go in curry?

This recipe calls for spinach, matchstick carrots, and chopped fresh tomatoes. However, you can use cauliflower, kale, bell peppers, broccoli, or peas... whatever you like! I do recommend cutting hard vegetables (like carrots or sweet potatoes) into very small pieces so they cook quicker! 

Other ingredients

The other ingredients you'll need are fresh ginger and garlic, fresh limes, fish sauce, red curry paste, curry powder, and salt. I always have curry powder, fish sauce, and salt on hand! You can also make your own curry powder if you have a lot of individual spices.

What to serve curry with?

I served my curry with basmati rice, however you can also use long-grain white rice, jasmine rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice. Or, skip the rice and enjoy this like a curry soup with some naan bread!

Here's the printable recipe for this Lighter Coconut Curry Salmon. I hope you'll rate and comment below if you try it :)

This post contains affiliate links. 

Lighter Coconut Curry Salmon

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Category

Dinner

Cuisine

Thai

Servings

5

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

305

I am always looking for new ways to make salmon, and this Lighter Coconut Curry Salmon is a keeper! It's got flaky salmon, a flavorful coconut curry broth, fresh spices, and tender vegetables. I love it served over basmati rice! This recipe is lower in fat, high in protein, dairy free and gluten free.

Ingredients

• 24 oz. wild caught salmon (I used Atlantic, can use sockeye, coho, king, or pink salmon)

• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

• 1 tbsp. avocado oil

• 1 tbsp. (3 cloves) garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. ginger, minced

• 13.5 fl. oz. (1 can) light coconut milk*

• 2 tbsp. red curry paste

• 1 tbsp. fish sauce

• 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar free brown sugar alternative*

• 2 cups fresh baby spinach*

• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped*

• 1 cup matchstick carrots*

*See blog post above for substitutions and suggestions.

Directions

1. If using frozen salmon, thaw completely and pat dry with paper towels. I used fresh salmon, which sears better and tastes better in my opinion!

2. Sprinkle salmon with curry powder and salt.

3. Heat avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook salmon 5 minutes on the skin side, then flip, scrape off skin, and cook another 4 minutes on the top side. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.

4. Add minced ginger and garlic to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar sweetener, stirring until combined. Add more salt and/or curry powder to taste.

6. Add spinach, carrots, and tomatoes to curry broth; stir and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes.

7. Add salmon to the skillet and flake into pieces if desired. Serve hot over rice or with naan.

8. For meal prep, divide curry and salmon evenly between five containers over desired amount of rice. Leftovers will keep in fridge up to four days or in the freezer up to a month.

Recipe Note

Calories (per 1/5th recipe): 305kcal, Fat: 16.7g, Sat fat: 5.7g, Carbs: 8g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 30g, Sodium: 728mg (including salt)

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