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    home » seafood » crispy skin salmon grain bowl with grilled vegetables

    crispy skin salmon grain bowl with grilled vegetables

    published: Jun 11, 2019 by cindy chou · updated: Jun 11, 2019

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    Close-up view of a piece of salmon on a fork lifted above a bowl of pan-seared salmon, carrot strips, and grilled vegetables.

    This salmon grain bowl is perfect for the day after your 4th of July BBQ when you have some leftover grilled vegetables, though fresh grilled kohlrabi, baby bok choy, and cucumber are totally worth it. You're missing out if you haven't tried grilled cucumber! Paired with crispy skin pan-seared salmon over a bed of flavorful bulgur wheat and you have a complete meal. A little bit of lemon juice, salt, and ground white pepper will enhance the natural flavors of all your ingredients.

    Top-down view of a grain bowl with pan-seared salmon, carrot strips, grilled baby bok choy, kohlrabi, and cucumber over a bed of bulgur in a white bowl sitting on a pastel purple surface.

    click below to watch how to make a salmon bulgur grain bowl

    Turn on your volume to hear the sounds of cooking. Cooking can be meditative and is a great opportunity to slow down, relax, and engage in your senses. Read more on our about page.

    This cooking video shows you:

    • how to pan-sear salmon
    • how to cook bulgur
    • how to assemble a salmon grain bowl with grill vegetables (cucumber, kohlrabi, and baby bok choy)

    main ingredients at a glance

    Ingredients for salmon grain bowl recipe sitting on a pastel purple surface - a bowl of bulgur, raw salmon fillets on a sheet tray, and fresh baby bok choy, kohlrabi, cucumber, carrots, and a lemon on a white plate.

     

    INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE

     

    • extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup bulgur wheat
    • 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
    • kosher salt
    • 2 medium carrots
    • 6 ounces baby bok choy
    • 12 ounces kohlrabi
    • 1 english cucumber or 2 persian cucumbers
    • 1 lemon
    • canola oil
    • 12 ounces salmon fillet (portioned into 3 ounce fillets)
    • ground white pepper

    how to make this salmon grain bowl with grilled vegetables - step by step

    Grain bowls tend to have a few different components, but that's also what makes them so great (they're customizable and make a complete meal)!

    I'm going to walk through each component below (the grain, grilling vegetables, and cooking salmon). If you are a more experienced cook or you're just in a hurry, jump straight to the recipe.

    jump to cooking video

    how to cook bulgur

    Bulgur is a whole grain that is both easy to cook and has a delicious nutty flavor. It only takes about 12 minutes to cook and has a slightly chewy bite to it that makes eating bulgur in grain bowls and salads quite satisfying.

    pro tip: cook bulgur with lightly seasoned low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock to give it extra flavor. This is an awesome way to cook any whole grain (farro, barley, and wheat berries to name a few).

    Heat a small pot on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Toast 1 cup of bulgur in the heated pot for 10-15 seconds until fragrant, then add 2 cups of low sodium chicken stock.

    Stir, allow to heat up to boil, and turn down to simmer for 12 minutes until bulgur is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.

    note: be careful to not overcook the bulgur or you'll end up with a more soggy texture like instant oatmeal.

    bulgur substitutes that would work for this recipe:

    • farro
    • barley
    • brown rice
    • quinoa
    jump to recipe

    how to prepare the vegetables for grilling

    Step-by-step pictures of how to prepare vegetables for this crispy skin salmon grain bowl recipe (slicing carrots with a julienne peeler, cutting baby bok choy, preparing kohlrabi, and cutting cucumber).

    Prepare your vegetables while the bulgur is simmering.

    Peel and julienne 2 medium carrots (photo 1). I love using this julienne peeler (*affiliate link) to make this super easy.

    Then place julienne carrots into 3 cups of ice water (photo 2). This gives the carrot pieces a pretty curl and helps the cut carrots stay crunchy.

    grilled baby bok choy

    Wash and quarter 6 ounces of baby bok choy lengthwise (photos 3 - 4) and set aside.

    grilled kohlrabi

    Tear off kohlrabi stems, cut off the top, and cut the fibrous skin with a chefs knife (photos 5 - 7).

    Then cut kohlrabi into ½ inch thick slices (photo 8).

    You may be asking, "what is kohlrabi?"

    Kohlrabi is also known as German turnip and is a part of the cabbage family. It tastes like a cross between cabbage and broccoli and is wonderfully crispy and sweet when grilled or sautéed.

    It can also be eaten raw when thinly sliced.

    grilled cucumber

    Cut 1 English cucumber in half and cut the ends off (photo 9), then cut each half down the middle lengthwise (photo 10).

    You won't regret trying grilled cucumber if you haven't had it before.

    The heat from grilling enhances the juiciness of cucumbers while you still get the crunch.

    Heat your grill or grill pan until smoking hot, then oil the grill. I use the Lodge grill pan (*affiliate link) when I'm only grilling a few items.

    Grill the prepared baby bok choy, kohlrabi, and cucumber for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and season with salt and fresh lemon juice.

    pro tip: I use a rolled up old kitchen towel to oil my grill. When the grill is hot, use tongs to dip the rolled up towel into a container of canola oil and rub it over the hot grates until they are shiny. This will help prevent the vegetables from sticking.

    shallow depth of field close up of vegetables being grilled. boy choy, cucumber and kohlrabi all have clear defined grill marks on its surfaces.
    jump to recipe

    how to pan-sear salmon and get delicious crispy skin

    Have your local seafood market fishmonger cut 3-ounce portions of salmon fillets. I like to buy wild caught salmon when it's available, usually between May to September.

    Remove the salmon from your refrigerator at least 20 minutes before you're ready to cook it. This allows the salmon to cook more evenly when it hits a hot pan.

    Season both sides of salmon fillets with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and 1 small pinch of ground white pepper right before cooking.

    Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil when the pan is hot (starts to slightly smoke). It's important to add the salmon fillets after the pan is hot. This prevents the salmon from sticking and gives you crispy skin.

    Sear salmon fillets skin-side down first, then lower heat to medium and allow 80% of the fish to cook. You can tell by the change of color from the side of the fillets. The color will become opaque from bottom to top as the fish cooks.

    Flip the fillets once the skin becomes golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes depending on the thickness). Cook until the center of the thickest portion of the fillet is warm (60ºC/145ºF).

    Season with fresh lemon juice and remove from the pan.

    how do you know when salmon is done cooking if you don't have a thermometer?

    pro tip: use a cake tester to test the thickest portion and then touch the tip of the tester on the skin right below your lower lip (it should be warm to touch).

    salmon grain bowl assembly

    Divide cooked bulgur evenly between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with cooked salmon, skin-side up, grilled vegetables, and julienned carrots.

    Close-up view of a grain bowl with pan-seared salmon, carrot strips, grilled baby bok choy, kohlrabi, and cucumber over a bed of bulgur in a white bowl.

    COOKING WITH KIDS - what can kids help with?

     

    • help wash vegetables
    • placing julienned carrots into ice bath and watch them curl
    • squeeze lemon on the grilled vegetables
    • help assemble the grain bowl
    Top-down view of a blue bamboo kids plate filled with cooked salmon, carrot strips, grilled cucumber, kohlrabi, and baby bok choy, and a side of bulgur.

    This recipe seems like it has a lot of components, but it's actually quite easy to make. It only takes 30 minutes to make if you already have leftover grilled vegetables and it works especially well for weekend meal preps!

    Don't have already grilled veggies? No worries. You can sauté the prepared vegetables in a hot pan before cooking your salmon. This will save you from one more cookware to wash.

    Let me know how you like grilled cucumber in the comments below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

    Happy cooking! ~ Cin

    Close-up view of a piece of salmon, bulgur, and grilled cucumber on a fork lifted above a bowl of pan-seared salmon, carrot strips, and grilled vegetables.

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    Please give this recipe a star rating below and leave a comment. I would appreciate it so much and would love to hear about your experience or if you put your own twist on the recipe. Show off your results by taking a photo and tagging @thesoundofcooking on Instagram. I would love to share what you come up with!

    Disclosure: The recipe below may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions. See our Disclaimer for more information.

    salmon bulgur grain bowl with grilled vegetables in a white ceramic bowl on a light blue washed fabric and violet paper
    print recipe pin recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    crispy skin salmon grain bowl with grilled vegetables

    This salmon grain bowl is perfect for the day after your 4th of July BBQ when you have some leftover grilled vegetables, though fresh grilled kohlrabi, baby bok choy, and cucumber are totally worth it. You're missing out if you haven't tried grilled cucumber yet! Paired with crispy skin pan-seared salmon over a bed of flavorful bulgur wheat and you have a complete meal.
    prep time20 mins
    cook time30 mins
    total time40 mins
    servings: 4 people
    author: cindy chou
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    watch it step-by-step: the sound of cooking® video

    ingredients

    bulgur:

    • 1 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
    • 1 cup bulgur
    • 2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
    • ¼ teaspoon salt, kosher

    vegetables:

    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
    • 3 cups ice water
    • 6 ounces baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
    • 12 ounces kohlrabi, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
    • 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise (or 2 persian cucumbers)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt, kosher
    • ¼ lemon, juiced

    salmon:

    • 12 ounce salmon fillet, portioned into four 3 ounce servings and pat dry with paper towels (remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt, kosher
    • 1 small pinch ground white pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

    instructions

    cooking bulgur:

    • Heat a small pot on medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Toast 1 cup of bulgur in the heated pot for 10-15 seconds until fragrant, then add 2 cups of low sodium chicken stock.
    • Stir, allow to heat up to boil, and turn down to simmer for 12 minutes until bulgur is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.

    carrot prep:

    • Place julienne carrots into 3 cups of ice water. This gives the carrot pieces a pretty curl and helps the cut carrots stay crunchy.

    grilling vegetables:

    • Prepare vegetables while bulgur is simmering. Heat grill until smoking hot, then oil grill. 
    • Grill prepared bok choy, kohlrabi, and cucumber for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, season salt and fresh lemon juice.

    cooking salmon:

    • Season both sides of salmon fillets with ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt and 1 small pinch of ground white pepper right before cooking. 
    • Heat a 10 inch pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil when the pan is hot (starts to slightly smoke). It's important to add the salmon fillets after the pan is hot. This prevents the salmon from sticking and gives you crispy skin.
    • Sear salmon fillets skin-side down first, then lower heat to medium and allow 80% of the fish to cook. The color will become opaque from bottom to top as the fish cooks. Flip the fillets once the skin becomes golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes depending on the thickness). Cook until the center of the thickest portion of the fillet is warm (60ºC/145ºF). Season with fresh lemon juice and remove from the pan.

    bulgur grain bowl assembly:

    • Divide cooked bulgur evenly between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with cooked salmon, skin-side up, grilled vegetables, and julienned carrots.

    notes

    Grilled vegetables and cooked bulgur can be seasoned to personal taste. Adding a splash of fresh lemon juice will brighten up the flavors without having to add more salt.
    IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FOOD THERMOMETER: Use a cake tester or fork to test the thickest portion of the salmon fillets and then touch the tip of the tester on the skin right below your lower lip (it should be warm to touch).
    course: Main Course
    cuisine: American, Seasonal
    keyword: baby bok choy, bulgur, cucumber, grain bowl, grilled vegetables, kohlrabi, salmon
    difficulty: moderate
    tried this recipe?Take a pic and tag @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.
    Share by Email

    cooking equipment and pantry items used in this salmon grain bowl recipe

    Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. April says

      April 27, 2020 at 12:54 am

      This looks so amazing! Thanks for such a yummy recipe. I'm picking up salmon tomorrow! 😉

      Reply
      • cindy chou says

        September 09, 2020 at 9:02 pm

        Hi April, thanks so much! I hope you enjoyed the recipe! ☺️

        Reply

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    Hello! I’m Cindy Chou, RDN (she/her/她), a Taiwanese American chef and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (but you won’t find any restrictive diet talk here!). I'm also a hotpot addict and love to cook Taiwanese and other Asian cuisine-inspired dishes. Join me for umami-rich recipes, pro cooking tips, and relaxing cooking videos to help you slow down and create lasting food memories.

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