Seared Salmon and Lemon Aioli with Red Potato, Asparagus, and Collard Green Hash showcases fresh, simple flavors and proves that hash is the perfect meal for any time of day!
I might be in the minority, but I’m one of those people who thoroughly enjoys grocery shopping; selecting fresh produce, looking through my favorite items like loose leaf tea and the cheese case, and finding new products to try makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop. The thing is, some weeks I’m so pressed for time that even something I would normally enjoy seems like a huge chore.
You would think that on those weeks my hubby would be able to pick up the slack and take a turn grocery shopping, but nope. Not only is grocery shopping the stuff his nightmares are made of, but he’s actually really, really (maybe purposefully) bad at it. So I don’t mind taking a little help with this when I can get it! I always have a pantry meal or two that I can whip up, and I usually have a couple frozen meals stashed away as well, but nothing beats fresh ingredients and flavors.
Have you heard of Blue Apron? They’re a subscription service that delivers fresh, high-quality ingredients along with seasonally-inspired chef-created recipes to your front door. I recently used this service for the first time, and because it was my very first time ever using any service like this I wasn’t sure what to expect; I’m happy to say, I ended up being incredibly pleased with the entire process, starting with selecting the meals I wanted to try online...
Blue Apron offers a pretty big selection of recipes to choose from, which was nice because my hubby and I have a couple dietary restrictions (we don’t eat pork and I try to limit gluten intake), and every week they add new recipes to keep things exciting.
Not only is Blue Apron convenient when you don’t have time to grocery shop (they even deliver the ingredients in a refrigerated box so everything will stay fresh even if you’re not at home when your package arrives), but ingredients are pre-measured so there’s no waste and meals are easy to prepare. The kits literally included everything I needed to cook the meals except for salt, pepper, olive oil, and water.
Blue Apron’s farm-sourced vegetables looked and tasted super fresh, and so did the wild Alaskan salmon (which is sustainably sourced; you can read more about their mission here). I love hash recipes of all kinds for any meal of the day, and this vegetable hash was perfect in its simplicity, letting the flavors of the fresh veggies shine through. Pan-searing is my cooking method of choice for salmon (you can keep your cooking methods simple if your ingredients are super fresh), and this salmon was the best I’ve had in a while. The aioli literally came together in a matter of minutes, and a little drizzle on top made the perfect finishing touch!
Here’s a little more about Blue Apron:
- Each menu is between 500-800 calories per person
- Ingredients are super fresh and sourced from quality suppliers and artisans
- All meals can be prepared in 40 minutes or less
- And I love that they offer a recycling program!
If you want to try Blue Apron for yourself, the first 50 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order – head over here!
- 4 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed or grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
- Salt and black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 10 oz (285 g) red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ bunch asparagus, woody ends removed and chopped on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces
- ½ bunch collard greens, de-stemmed and chopped
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 (4 to 6 oz/115 to 170 g) skin-on salmon fillets
- 1 tablespoon salmon hash spice blend
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 fresh lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- For the aioli, whisk together the mayo, mustard, garlic, and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- For the hash, add 1 tablespoon oil to a large (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in an even layer and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook (uncovered) until browned outside and softened inside, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion and ½ tablespoon oil to the potatoes and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the asparagus, collard greens, and water, and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until the collard greens are wilted, the water is evaporated, and the other vegetables are fork-tender, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, cook the salmon. Pat each fillet dry with a paper towel and season with the salmon hash spice blend, salt, and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat; once the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets skinless-side-down and cook until browned on both sides and cooked in the center, about 4 minutes per side. (Turn the heat down as necessary to prevent the salmon from burning outside before it’s fully cooked inside. Once the salmon is browned outside, you can turn the heat down to low and cover the skillet with a lid or piece of foil to help the salmon seam inside.)
- To serve, divide the hash between 4 plates and add 1 piece of salmon to each; serve along with the aioli and fresh lemon wedges.
Disclosure: I received this Blue Apron meal for free, and I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy this recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
I’m with you, I enjoy picking my own produce, fruit and shopping at the market. I have never and don’t see myself leaving that up to someone else, or ordering online. It would seem strange to me.
I’ve hear nothing but good things about Blue Apron though, and was happy to read they have a recycling program… I wondered about that. Thanks for sharing this one and the dinner looks superb Faith. Who know maybe one of these days I’ll be in need of their services and let go!
BTW, overtime I see that photo in the sidebar of the Mango Lassy Poppy Seed Muffin I salivate! ;)
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Been seeing a lot about Blue Apron lately. This meal looks so fabulous (love collard greens)! Your pix are amazing and really detail the meal!
Lauren says
I love grocery shopping too! My husband said that when he was planning how to propose he thought about where my favorite place was and all he could come up with was the grocery store lol! Luckily he didn't propose there of course ;) Some weeks though it would be totally helpful to have the shopping done for me and if the meal looked like this I would happily forgo my grocery trip.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
What a perfect meal! I've never heard of Blue Apron but it sounds like a terrific service, thanks for sharing the info!
Nutmeg Nanny says
I really love Blue Apron because it makes the crazy weeknight rush just a little bit easier. Plus the food always comes out looking so fresh and beautiful. You nailed this dish - yum!
Michelle De La Cerda says
I love how simple and pure all of these ingredients are. They make an incredible meal.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
This looks like the perfect lunch to tide me over from the tropical storm Colin that's threatening Florida right now. Ugh :D
Faith says
Kiran, I wish we lived close because I'd invite you over! Stay safe, friend! xoxo
Susan says
This recipe attracted me until I saw in the ingredient list "salmon hash spice blend", which is never defined anywhere. I did finally save the recipe because I'm sure I can come up with a spice blend of my own, but it would be nice to at least know what is in that blend.
Faith says
Susan, I apologize for the confusion! On Blue Apron's website, they state the following ingredients in their Salmon Hash Spice Blend: ground sweet paprika and ground fennel seeds. You can probably use any salmon spice blend you like though if you don't want to purchase through them. Hope this helps!
Susan says
Thank you, Faith. The sweet paprika and fennel sounds like a wonderful combination, so I'll definitely try that.
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
This looks delicious! I love the idea of that hash.