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Salmon at home can be intimidating and messy if made on the stove. The solution? Pop it on a prepped sheet pan and bake it at 400. It’s foolproof every time – never dry. And this Sheet Pan Harissa Salmon + Roasted Veggies with Cashew Crema is just that and packed with flavor.
Here, we season the salmon with lemon juice and mild harissa paste for a tangy and spicy glaze. It’s baked in the oven with turmeric-spiced carrots and cauliflower. While your oven is doing the work, you’ll have time to make the cashew crema. Together, the bowl is savory, a little bit spicy, tangy, herby and rich. Making this Sheet Pan Harissa Salmon + Roasted Veggies with Cashew Crema the perfect weeknight or weekend meal. But if you’re looking for another idea, try my Sheet Pan Gochujang Glazed Salmon!
But REMEMBER: Make sure you soak your cashews well in advance, preferably overnight. Yeah, I know… it’s the *most difficult* part of making this dish because WHO REMEMBERS TO SOAK THE CASHEWS! If you are in a pinch for time, you can speed up the process by soaking the nuts in very hot water for about an hour.
Sheet Pan Harissa Salmon + Roasted Veggies with Cashew Crema
Ingredients
For the Roasted Veggies:
- 1 large head cauliflower – cut into florets
- 2 large carrots – sliced on the bias
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
For the Salmon:
- 1 ½ lb. center cut salmon – skin and pin bones removed
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. mild harissa paste, see note
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
For the Cashew Crema:
- 1 cup raw cashews – soaked in water overnight, see note
- 1 jalapeño – roughly chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic – peeled
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- ½ cup chopped dill – plus more for serving
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup water
For Serving:
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
- 4 cups baby arugula
Instructions
For the Veggies:
- Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Add the cauliflower and the carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Toss well to combine so that all the florets and carrot coins are well-coated. Push the veggies to the edges of the sheet pan, making enough room in the center for the salmon.
For the Salmon:
- Place the salmon in the center of the sheet pan, pat dry and sprinkle with the kosher salt.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, harissa paste, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. Pour the harissa glaze over the salmon and spread it across the entire fillet so that each inch of the salmon is totally coated.
- Transfer the sheet pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and gently toss the veggies. Transfer back to the oven and continue baking until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily when pressed with a fork, about 10 more minutes.
Make the Cashew Crema:
- Meanwhile, while the salmon is baking– Drain the soaked cashews and rinse them well with water. In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the soaked cashews, jalapeno, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, dill, salt, and water. Blend on medium for about 3 minutes until the crema is extremely smooth and a pale green. At first, it will look like it will not come together, but with patience and more time, the mixture will come together.
Assemble the Bowls:
- When the salmon is done, sprinkle with the freshly chopped cilantro and dill.
- To assemble the bowls, add arugula and top with veggies, and flaked salmon. Top with a dollop of the cashew crema. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this recipe, it was perfect! How long do you think the cashew crema would keep, we have so much leftover!
So glad you loved it!! Your cream will last at least four days in the fridge, and can be frozen as well!!
Do you bake the garlic cloves for the sauce? If so for how long and what temp? I find uncooked garlic give an intensity of wasabi and is too much for my fam. Should I leave garlic out if you don’t cook the garlic?
The garlic will be raw so if that is too strong of a flavor I would suggest omitting completely or using a 1/4 tsp of garlic powder so you still get a subtle flavor.
I love all of your recipes, but this one absolutely hit it out of the park. I made it for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! The crema is what dreams are made of – I could’ve bathed in that stuff. Will be on my regular dinner rotation!
so happy you loved it!!!
Amazing as always! And very easy. I’m putting this Cashew Crema on everything!
Amazing recipe. Used Whole Foods salmon filets from the frozen aisle. Also Did the veggies (added 2 shallots) and fish separately and put it over quinoa with the other ingredients listed. Kids loved it!
I made this for dinner tonight, it was absolutely AMAZING! My salmon was kinda big so used to sheet pans. I could not find the mild Harissa so only used 1tbs instead to 2. Will be making this weekly.
For nut free, dairy free should I use Mayo instead of the cashews?
yes you could!! Would be great!
This looks absolutely phenomenal!! I’m making this for my client next week as another Salmon option. What are your thoughts on using plain Greek yogurt instead of cashew crema for the sauce?
I have Harissa powder.
How does that differ from the paste?
Can I substitute?
Thanks!
I would use paste in this recipe– I think it’d still be great if you just swapped in 1 tsp of the powder though.
I hate to be that annoying person who changes your amazing recipes… but here I go! Can I use macadamia nuts instead of cashews? 🙂
I wouldn’t– cashews get much creamier and have a more mild taste 🙂