Cumin Spiced Sockeye Salmon & Couscous Bowls With Lemon Yogurt Sauce

What You’ll Need:

• Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon:

  • 2 wild caught salmon fillets 

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • Salt & pepper, to taste

  • Olive oil for cooking

• Couscous Bowl Base:

  • ¾ cup Israeli (pearl) couscous

  • 1 veggie or chicken stock cube or concentrate (as a substitute for broth)

  • Water for cooking, according to the package instructions

• Lemon-Yogurt Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp yogurt

  • Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon

  • Pinch of garlic powder

  • Salt & pepper

• Sumac Almonds:

  • ½ oz sliced almonds

  • ½ tsp sumac (optional, for tangy flavor)

  • Pinch of sugar and salt to taste

• Veggies:

  • A handful of green beans (trimmed)

  • A splash of water for steaming

Let’s Cook:

1. Prep & Spice the Salmon:
   Season salmon fillets with cumin, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Make the Lemon-Yogurt Sauce:
   In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Set aside.

3. Cook the Couscous:
   Bring couscous, stock cube, and water to a boil in a small pot. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender (~6–8 min). Keep covered off-heat while finishing other components.

4. Toast the Almonds:
   In a large pan over medium-high, toast the almonds until golden (~1–3 min). Remove from heat and stir in sumac (if using), sugar, and salt to coat. Set aside.

5. Sear the Salmon:
   In the same pan, add a little olive oil and sear salmon (skin-side down) over medium-high heat until the skin is crisp—around 5–7 minutes. Flip and cook 1–2 minutes more until just opaque. Remove and set aside.

6. Steam the Green Beans:
   With the same pan on medium heat, add green beans and a pinch of salt. Stir for 30 seconds. Add a splash of water, cover, and steam until bright and and just tender (~1–3 minutes).

7. Assemble the Bowls:
   Stir a bit of garlic powder and an extra squeeze of lemon juice into the couscous for flavor. Divide the couscous between two bowls, top with salmon and green beans. Drizzle with lemon-yogurt sauce and sprinkle with sumac almonds for crunch.