Roasted Salmon Quinoa Bowls with Avocado, Cucumber & Green Goddess Dressing
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This salmon quinoa bowl is one of those dinners that checks all the boxes: healthy, satisfying, and packed with fresh flavor. With plenty of make-ahead components, it’s easy enough for a weeknight but good enough to look forward to all day.
This feel-good roasted salmon quinoa bowl recipe is the perfect mix of wholesome and crave-worthy. Quinoa serves as the hearty base, topped with tender roasted salmon, creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, and a generous spoonful of green goddess dressing. The quinoa and dressing can be made ahead, so all that’s left is roasting the salmon, and it’s done in just 10 minutes.
You can easily swap the quinoa for other healthy grains like bulgur or brown rice, and mix in whatever vegetables you have on hand. Just don’t skip the green goddess dressing—it’s the magic that ties everything together.
“This is a delicious, fresh and healthy one dish meal that my whole family loved. We all licked our bowls clean…”
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Salmon Quinoa Bowls
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the salmon. Grease a foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, place on the baking sheet, and drizzle with another tablespoon of oil.
Pro Tip: If you don’t mind a repeat performance, for easy weeknight prep, roast extra salmon and keep it chilled—these bowls are great cold, too.
Step 2. Roast the salmon. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked through.
Step 3. Prep the quinoa. While the salmon roasts, toss the quinoa with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
Pro Tip: Make sure to always rinse quinoa before cooking it. This removes its natural bitter coating (saponin). Even pre-rinsed brands benefit from a quick rinse.
Step 4. Assemble the bowls. Spoon about 1 cup of quinoa into each bowl. Top with a piece of roasted salmon, sliced cucumbers, and diced avocado. Sprinkle the avocado and cucumbers with a little salt, then add fresh herbs if using. Serve with green goddess dressing and lemon wedges.
Swaps & Pro Tips
- Switch up the base: Farro, couscous, barley, or even cauliflower rice can stand in for quinoa if you want to change the flavor or texture.
- Vary the veggies: Use veggies you have on hand, like diced zucchini or bell pepper, edamame, corn kernels, halved cherry tomatoes, etc.
- Meal-prep shortcut: Buy precooked quinoa from the freezer section—it heats in minutes and tastes just as good as homemade.
- Make it a DIY bowl bar: Set out the salmon, quinoa, veggies, herbs, and dressing so everyone can assemble their own—great for a crowd.
More Flavor-Packed Bowls to Try
Roasted Salmon Quinoa Bowls with Avocado, Cucumber & Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 (6-oz) skinless salmon fillets
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions (see note), at room temperature
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small English or hothouse cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 avocados, pitted and diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, like chives, basil, tarragon, or parsley, for serving (optional)
- Green goddess dressing
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 13 x 18-in (33 x 46-cm) baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Place the salmon on the greased baking sheet and drizzle with another tablespoon of the oil. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked through.
- Meanwhile, toss the cooked quinoa with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Assemble the bowls: Spoon about 1 cup of quinoa into each bowl. Top each bowl with a piece of roasted salmon, sliced cucumbers, and diced avocado. Sprinkle the avocado and cucumbers with a little salt. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs, if using. Serve with the bowls with the green goddess dressing and lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Loved this dish! The green goddess dressing is wonderful- I used nonfat greek yogurt instead of sour cream and also grilled the salmon. It was still quite delicious and a hit with our dinner guests. A great summer meal. Thanks!
Just did this recipe with mixed rice (since this is what we have at hand), it so so good, my kids went for double sauce!
Just made this for my family and it is a total hit! So fresh, light and satisfying!! Awesome summer dish!
Hi Jen,
Could I use sashimi salmon instead of cooked salmon? I am making this recipe for a brunch I have this Saturday.
Thanks
Mich
I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t work. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn, just curious about the herbs for the dressing. Is is 1/4 c. total or 1/4 of each? I think it’s probable 1/4 total but checking. Thanks!
You’re right — it’s 1/4 cup total. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic. and easy
Combination of the marinade and the sauce is delicious
Not a cucumber in the house. I substituted edamame and corn
Oh my – sooooo good and sooooo easy to prepare! Quinoa is my new favorite! I am looking forward to more of these Whole Foods recipes – who knew they could be so filling and satisfying! I’m doing something new every week and my husband is thrilled and so am I – THANK YOU JENN! Paulette
Made this tonight and it was a hit with my family. The green goddess dressing is soo delicious!
Even my 2 year old loved it and went back for more!
Thanks for the recipe. It was delicious. Your green goddess dressing was a hit with my husband! The only thing I changed was I cooked salmon in air fryer and added edamame beans.
This is a delicious, fresh and healthy one dish meal that my whole family loved. We all licked our bowls clean (and dipped a baguette in leftover green goddess sauce). My teen son – who usually is more a fan of Chipotle and pizza – said it was a perfect combination of flavors and textures, and the rest of us agreed! Thanks for helping to kick off our year on a healthy and delicious note!
Has anyone tried this with rice noodles instead of quinoa?