Chef notes
There are so many nights I stare into my fridge trying to find the perfect balance between something exciting and something quick. For me it often comes down, again and again, to miso paste and lemon. These two little ingredients that pack as much punch as another 20 combined. If you aren't familiar with miso paste, it is a form of fermented soybeans that somehow delivers an incredible amount of umami flavor in a tiny spoonful.
So when I need a quick weeknight sauce for almost anything the answer is usually the bright zest of a lemon combined with the earthy flavor bomb of umami. From salad dressings to soups it can be your secret weapon. But the easiest full meal that I keep going back to is this sheet pan miso lemon salmon with zucchini and rice. It's an entire meal that goes in the oven for less than 10 minutes and comes out ready to satisfy.
Technique tip: Broiling the salmon gives it the foolproof dichotomy of browned exterior with juicy interior. And the zucchini and rice take to the broiler perfectly, adding a bit of crisp to otherwise standard fare. It just so happens to also be among the fastest ways to cook something.
RELATED: TODAY recipes are now shoppable — and it makes ordering groceries online so easy
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons miso paste
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets
- 2 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- salt
- Chopped chives (optional)
Preparation
1.Preheat the broiler, ensuring oven rack is 6 inches from the top. In a bowl, combine the miso paste with the lemon juice using a whisk.
2.Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Spread out the rice on top until it is flat. Drizzle approximately half of the miso-lemon mixture on top. Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the rice.
3.Place zucchini slices evenly around the salmon. Drizzle the remaining miso-lemon mixture on top of the zucchini and salmon and then sprinkle with a dash of salt.
4.Place the sheet pan in the oven and broil for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon is your desired temperature. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chives, if desired. Serve hot.
