These Mediterranean salmon bowls with couscous and tzatziki are easy, healthy, and customizable based on your taste and what you have on hand.

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When it comes to easy dinners, I love a “choose your own” type of adventure. It’s a great way to use what you have and get creative in the kitchen. Much like my Mediterranean chicken bowls, chipotle lime shrimp bowls, and my roasted chicken, butternut squash, and guacamole rice bowls, these Mediterranean salmon bowls are colorful, delicious, and super hearty. They’re also loaded with good-for-you ingredients and lend themselves well to meal prep. Quickly baked salmon is easy to make ahead, and homemade tzatziki sauce adds creaminess (but a good store-bought brand works okay too.) I change up the ingredient list depending on my cravings and what I have on hand, and you should feel free to do the same!

Why You’ll Love These

• These Mediterranean salmon bowls are quick and easy to make and totally customizable
• They’re light and healthy, yet filling and good for lunch or dinner
• They’re primarily made with pantry and fridge staples

What’s In Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

These Mediterranean salmon bowls are entirely customizable, and I’ve included several ideas for swaps and variations below. Feel free to have fun with them and make them your own.

Tzatziki Ingredients List

Make homemade or use a good quality store brand

• Cucumber—I like using English cucumbers for tzatziki because there’s no need to peel or seed them. Just be sure to choose one that is firm.
• Greek yogurt—I prefer using 2% or 5% fat Greek yogurt for this, but you can use whatever fat percentage you like (just make sure it’s plain.)
• Garlic—A little garlic in tzatziki (since it’s raw) goes a long way!
• Red Wine Vinegar—I love the flavor and tang red wine vinegar brings, but you could also use fresh lemon juice.
• Dill—Fresh dill is a key component to tzatziki, so be sure to use fresh and not dried!
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor

Couscous Ingredients List

• Pearl couscous—I love the texture that pearl couscous gives (it’s a nice al dente bite!)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
• Olive oil—for the vinaigrette
• Lemon—for the acidity in the vinaigrette—you’ll use the zest and the juice to brighten up the couscous and impart a nice lemony flavor
• Mint—Fresh mint leaves add a pop of color and freshness to the couscous
• Pistachios—for some crunch

Tip: If you want a bit of creaminess, add some crumbled feta to your couscous! If you can, use the good stuff (a block of real PDO feta, in brine)!

Salmon Ingredients List

• Salmon fillet—I prefer Atlantic salmon, but you could use a different variety. I also like buying a large side of salmon and then slicing it into 4-ounce portions myself, because it’s more affordable that way
• Olive oil—for flavor and so the salmon doesn’t stick
• Dried oregano—for Mediterranean flavor (you could also use fresh if you wanted)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
• Lemon—lemon sliced on top of the salmon makes for a pretty presentation and also adds a nice, bright flavor

Other Ingredients for Assembling the Bowls

• Roasted red peppers—you can use storebought or roast your own
• Marinated artichokes—these add such a great tangy punchy-ness to these bowls
• Tzatziki—I like making my own tzatziki sauce but you could also use storebought
• Cucumber—I like using English cucumbers for this bowl (it’s also what I use for my tzatziki)
• Leafy greens—such as baby kale, arugula, and/or spinach
• Capers—I love the briny, salty pop they add

How to Make These Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

The beauty of these Mediterranean salmon bowls is you’re just cooking two things: the salmon and the couscous. The other components are pantry and fridge staples. The tzatziki sauce can be made ahead of time, but you could also go the store-bought route. You can make these as simple or complex as you like.

Make the Tzatziki Sauce

• Squeeze the cucumber. Gather the grated cucumber together and place in a paper towel, press the water out of the cucumber, and place it in a medium-sized bowl. A
• Mix it all up. Add the yogurt, garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh dill, kosher salt, and pepper, and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Note: Homemade tzatziki can be made up to a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge

Make the Couscous

• Bring your water to a boil.
• Toast the couscous. Toasting the couscous gives it more flavor and accentuates its nuttiness. Toast the couscous in a dry skillet, stirring frequently to prevent burning, toasting until it is golden brown.
• Cook the couscous until tender but al dente. Salt the water generously and add the couscous, cooking until tender; about 7 minutes.
• Make the vinaigrette. While the couscous is cooking, make the vinaigrette with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
• Drain and toss. Add the couscous to a large bowl with the lemon vinaigrette and the mint. Set aside or chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble your bowls.

Bake the Salmon

• Prep the salmon. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Place the salmon filets skin-side down on a sheet pan and pat the top of the fish with a paper towel. Brush the salmon with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, oregano, and pepper, and top it with lemon slices.
• Bake the salmon. Place the salmon in the oven to bake until it is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

Assemble the Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

The beauty of these Mediterranean salmon bowls is you’re just cooking two things: salmon and couscous (and you can totally make the couscous in advance), so you can assemble these bowls quickly and easily.

• Toss the leafy greens in some of the lemony vinaigrette. This will be the base of your bowls.
• Add a scoop of couscous. ¼ to ½ cup is a good portion size.
• Add your veg. Place the cucumber, peppers, and artichokes in areas on the outer part of the bowl.
• Add the finishing touches. I like to sprinkle some capers on top, then give a good squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Swap one of the veggie components out for some grilled zucchini or asparagus
• Instead of roasted red peppers, add slow-roasted tomatoes
• If you don’t care for salmon, try my Greek grilled chicken
• To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the salmon for some grilled halloumi, or white beans
• Greek salad or Greek chickpea salad would be a yummy side (just do in lieu of the greens)
• Add some crumbled feta to the couscous for a bit of creaminess. If you can, use the good stuff (a block of real PDO feta, in brine)!
• Instead of making the couscous, you could try my Greek pasta salad, Mediterranean quinoa salad, or Mediterranean orzo salad

Storage Tips

• The lemony vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance
• Homemade tzatziki can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge
• The couscous can be made up to two days in advance (no need to reheat for serving as it’s best eaten at room temperature
• Cook the salmon a day or two ahead and serve the bowls at room temp or bake it just before serving warm.
• Leftovers will keep for a day or two before the greens get wilty. Undressed greens will last longer.

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5 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

These Mediterranean salmon bowls with couscous and veggies are easy, healthy, and customizable based on your taste and what you have on hand.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Mediterranean salmon bowls

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 748kcal

Ingredients

For the tzatziki

• ½ English cucumber grated on the large side of a box grater (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 2%)
• 1 medium-sized clove of garlic grated, or minced (about ½ teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the couscous

• 1 cup pearl couscous
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup roasted salted pistachios , chopped

For the salmon

• 1 pound salmon sliced into four 4-ounce portions
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon thinly sliced

For assembling the bowls

• 1 cup marinated artichokes from a jar, drained and divided
• 1 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and divided
• 1 English cucumber chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup tzatziki sauce
• couscous
• salmon
• leafy greens (such as baby kale, arugula, and/or spinach)
• capers drained

Instructions

• For the Tzatziki
• Gather the grated cucumber together and place in a paper towel, press the water out of the cucumber and place it in a medium-sized bowl.
• Add the yogurt, garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh dill, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
• For the Couscous
• Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat and add the couscous. Toast the couscous, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye to prevent burning, toasting for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Once the water is boiling, salt the water generously and add the couscous, cooking until tender; about 7 minutes. Drain the couscous and add to a large bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a bowl and whisk to emulsify.
• Dress the couscous with half of the lemon vinaigrette, setting aside the rest. Stir well and then add the mint and pistachios, and stir again. Set aside or chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble your bowls.
• For the Salmon
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Place the salmon filets skin-side down on a sheet pan and pat the top of the fish with a paper towel. Brush the salmon with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, oregano, and pepper, and top with lemon slices. Bake until the salmon is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
• To Assemble the Bowls
• Toss the leafy greens in a spoon or two of the lemony vinaigrette. This will be the base of your bowls. Add a ¼ to ½ scoop of couscous. Add your veg. Place the cucumber, peppers, and artichokes in areas on the outer part of the bowl. Add the finishing touches. Drizzle with the rest of the vinaigrette. I like to sprinkle some capers on top, then give a good squeeze of lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Notes

The lemony vinaigrette can be made up to a week in advance
Homemade tzatziki can be made up to a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge
The couscous can be made up to two days in advance (no need to reheat for serving as it’s best eaten at room temperature
Cook the salmon a day or two ahead to serve the bowls at room temp or bake it just before serving warm.
Leftovers will keep for about a day or until the leafy greens get wilty. Undressed greens last longer.