Lemon-tarragon salmon and white bean skillet is a one-pan dish that is nearly effortless to prepare, made with everyday ingredients that come together in just minutes. (Photo by Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)

Lemon-tarragon salmon and white bean skillet is a one-pan dish that is nearly effortless to prepare, made with everyday ingredients that come together in just minutes. (Photo by Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)

Simple cooking: A feel-good skillet dinner starring salmon

By Ellie Krieger / The Washington Post

This skillet dinner is the kind of recipe everyone should have tucked in their back pocket.

It is simple cooking at its best — a one-pan meal that is nearly effortless to prepare, made with everyday ingredients that come together quickly. You can summon the energy to make it even when you come home feeling too tired to cook. The payoff in flavor, beauty and satisfaction is a windfall.

To make it, saute chopped shallot (or onion, if you prefer) and zucchini in a large skillet; add a can of white beans, water and then big chunks of fresh salmon, grape tomatoes, tarragon and lemon zest. In about five minutes the fish is cooked, the vegetables and beans are tender, and, with a final squeeze of lemon juice, the whole dish is infused with the flavor and fragrance of the citrus and herb seasonings.

The meal has a summery feel, with zucchini, tomatoes and herbs at their peak this time of year, but the ingredients are available year-round, making it an anytime pleasure.

Lemon-tarragon salmon and white bean skillet

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup chopped shallot

1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice

1 15-ounce can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup water

1¼ pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup grape tomatoes, each cut in half

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ lemon)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the shallot; cook for about 1 minute, until softened.

Add the zucchini and cook for 1 minute, then add the beans and water. Once the mixture is bubbling at the edges, add the salmon, tomatoes, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and pepper, stirring gently to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the salmon is just opaque and the vegetables are tender.

Drizzle with the lemon juice and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 370 calories, 34 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 80 milligrams cholesterol, 400 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber, 3 grams sugar.

Talk to us

More in Life

Dark gray wheels and black exterior accents provide extra visual appeal for the 2024 Subaru Impreza’s RS trim. (Subaru)
2024 Subaru Impreza loses a little, gains a lot

The brand’s compact car is fully redesigned. A couple of things are gone, but many more have arrived.

TSR image for calendar
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

This weekend in Snohomish: The Snohomish Blues Invasion and the Snohomish Studio Tour 2023.

Made by Bruce Hutchison, the poster for “A Momentary Diversion on the Road to the Grave” is an homage to 1985 classic “The Goonies.” (Photo provided)
Indie film premiering on Whidbey Island

Filmed almost entirely on Whidbey Island, “A Momentary Diversion on the Road to the Grave” is set to premiere in Langley.

A clump of flowering ornamental grass or pennisetum alopecuroides in an autumn garden.
My garden runneth over with fountain grasses, and for good reason

These late-blooming perennials come in many varieties. They work well as accents, groundcovers, edgings or in containers.

A woman diverts from her walk on Colby Avenue to take a closer look at a pickup truck that was partly crushed by a fallen tree during an overnight wind storm Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in north Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / Herald file)
Storm season is coming. Here’s how to prepare for power outages.

The most important action you can take is to make an emergency preparedness kit.

Do you prefer green or red grapes? This antique Moser pitcher is decorated with enameled grapevines on shaded red-to-green glass.
Grapevine pitcher was made by renowned Bohemian company

Also, queries about grandmother’s coffee set and late husband’s Beatles records and memorabilia collection.

The city of Mukilteo is having a naming contest for its new $75,000 RC Mowers R-52, a remote-operated robotic mower. (Submitted photo)
Mukilteo muncher: Name the $75,000 robot mower

The city is having a naming contest for its new sod-slaying, hedge-hogging, forest-clumping, Mr-mow-it-all.

Death of parent with child. Piece of paper with parents and children is torn in half.
Helping children cope with the hard realities of divorce

I’s important to set aside one’s feelings and find a way to make this challenging transition as comfortable for children as you can.

Can he get the fare difference refunded after he was downgraded?

American Airlines downgrades Thomas Sennett and his family to economy class on their flights from Boston to Phoenix. Why isn’t it refunding the fare difference?

Most Read