Easy Baked Salmon with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale

This easy, sheet pan baked salmon dinner is loaded with fall flavor and couldn’t be easier. Packed with healthy, omega-3 fats from the wild salmon, as well as garlic, fresh herbs, butternut squash and kale, makes a healthy and quick dinner or lunch. Grain and gluten free.

Two of the top recommendations I make to most of my Holistic Nutrition Coaching clients are to eat at least 50% plant foods and to eat wild caught fish and seafood at least twice each week.

This easy baked salmon one dish is the perfect way to do that, and it’s easy to boot!

Why Is Salmon Good For Us?

• Wild salmon is rich in anti inflammatory omega-3 fats – I prefer sockeye salmon which has a deeper red color, but this wild Alaskan salmon was the only variety available and did the job just fine (didn’t hurt that it was on sale either!)
• Has muscle building protein
• Has a good dose of vitamin B12, important for energy metabolism and neurological function
• Is a great source of selenium, which is important for thyroid health and decreasing harmful effects of mercury
• Contains phosphorus, which is important for bone health and tissue repair

The Veggies In This Dish Are Just As Good For You Too…

• The butternut squash is an excellent source of beta-carotene and prebiotic fiber for gut health.
• Kale and other cruciferous vegetables are great for fighting cancer and are helpful for hormone balance. Kale is also a good source of vitamin.
• Plus, this dish is allergy friendly – grain free, gluten free, nut free, soy free, and easily adaptable for dairy free.

How To Make Easy Baked Salmon With Roasted Butternut Squash And Kale

Easy Prep + Easy Cleanup = Happy Mom

Cooking healthy meals from scratch has a reputation for being labor intensive and cumbersome to clean up, but that isn’t always the case.

Here are my tips for making this simple one-dish a cinch to make and clean:

•  Buy pre-cubed squash 

•  Buy pre-cut kale 

•  Have the workers behind the fish counter cut your salmon into 3 oz portions (this saves you time cutting them, and will speed up the cooking too!)

•  Line your roasting pan with foil (I prefer a double layer). If you don’t like aluminum foil touching your food, you can line the foil with parchment paper. When dinner’s over, simply discard the foil (and parchment).

Add to that list the fact that I served this dinner on paper plates with plastic utensils, and this was truly one of the easiest meals I’ve cleaned up after in a while!

Cutting down on the dish washing gives me a little extra time with my family….and for occasionally whipping up a quick batch of homemade hot chocolate after dinner! No one complains, I assure you!  😉

Check out these other healthy seafood recipes!

15 Minute Herby Salmon with Parmesan Crust

Easy Crab Cakes with Butter Wine Sauce

Magic Everything Tuna Salad

Easy Salmon Burgers in 15 minutes

Easy Baked Salmon with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale

A fantastic winter one dish that's hearty, oh-so-healthy, and incredibly easy to prepare!

4.78 from 57 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Healthy fish recipe, salmon traybake

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Dena Norton

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 Tbsp pastured ghee or avocado oil divided (use avocado oil for dairy free)
• ▢ 3 Cloves fresh garlic pressed
• ▢ 2 tsp chopped sage
• ▢ 2 Tbsp chopped rosemary divided
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 pounds butternut squash cubes I used a little less due to the size of my roasting pan
• ▢ 5 oz chopped kale about 3 large handfuls
• ▢ 1 pound wild Alaskan salmon cut into 4 oz portions

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil.
• Melt 3 Tbsp of the ghee in a glass bowl in the microwave (no need to melt if using avocado oil). Stir in the garlic, sage, 1 Tbsp of the rosemary, and the salt and pepper.
• Use clean hands to toss the melted ghee/oil mixture with the butternut squash cubes on the foil lined roaster. Spread the cubes evenly to create a single layer in the pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
• Remove from oven and turn the heat down to 375 degrees.
• Gently toss the chopped kale with the roasted squash in the pan using a spatula. Spread the squash-kale mixture evenly across the pan, then lay the salmon pieces over the top (skin side down).
• Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp ghee and use a pastry brush to brush over the surface of the salmon pieces (no need to melt if using avocado oil). Sprinkle the fish with additional sea salt and black pepper, then with the remaining 1 Tbsp chopped rosemary.
• Place in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until salmon is flaky and opaque in the center.

Notes

Some of the kale pieces will have a slight crisp around the edges when the dish is cooked (similar to kale chips). We love the texture contrast of the lightly crisped kale to the soft squash but, if you want your kale to soften, just add an extra tsp or two of melted ghee/oil when you toss the kale and squash together.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 369mg | Potassium: 1487mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 27694IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 3mg

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