Delicate, perfectly cooked salmon fillets, done in a Sous Vide, accompanied by a fennel, dill and roasted cherry tomato salad. Served alongside a delicious miso dressing, this is a healthy, nutritious and satisfying meal.
This post is sponsored by Russell Hobbs. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make It’s Not Complicated Recipes possible.
Inspiration for this Sous Vide Salmon:
I absolutely love salmon. It is a fish that benefits from many different cooking treatments, styles and flavours. It works well in Asian dishes, when garnished with Mediterranean flavours or even in Mexican preparations.
I recently discovered the Russell Hobbs Master Slow Cooker & Sous Vide. When developing a recipe using this fantastic appliance, I wanted to highlight the delicate flavour and texture of the salmon and serve it alongside clean, fresh flavours.
Why we love this recipe:
Healthy eating doesn’t necessarily mean complicated. We love how simple this dish is to prepare, whilst being nutritious and full of flavour.
The salmon fillets cook to perfection in the Sous Vide, and the salad is so quick to prepare. The crunch of fennel, sweetness of cherry tomatoes and the slight warmth of the dill add the perfect balance of texture and fresh flavour.
The miso dressing takes just minutes to prepare, and enhances the flavour of the salmon and salad, without overpowering the overall dish.
Delicious hot or cold, this is a healthy meal ideal for entertaining, or also perfect packed as a work lunch.
Serve your salmon fillet whole, or flake it over the fennel, dill and roasted cherry tomato salad – you’ll discover it is so tender and it will just fall apart.
It quite literally melts in your mouth.
What is Sous Vide?
The term Sous-vide is French and translates to “under vacuum”. A water bath is used to cook the food, which is sealed inside a plastic pouch. The controlled temperature of the water bath allows the food to gently cook, retaining the delicate flavours of the food.
As well as the Sous Vide feature, the Russell Hobbs Master Slow Cooker & Sous Vide also allows you to create tasty dishes using the Slow Cooker feature, or Temperature Probe. Slow cooking your food is ideal for busy lifestyles and lots of mouths to feed, and the temperature probe feature allows you to cook your food to perfection every time.
The benefits of cooking Sous Vide:
- Set the temperature, add your food and walk away until it is cooked;
- Never overcook or undercook your food;
- The natural juices of the food will be captured, adding to the delicate flavour;
- Impress your family and friends with restaurant quality food;
- New to cooking? This is a simple and effective way of preparing food. A foodie pro? You will love just how incredible the food tastes!
- Perfect for creating a meal for one or feeding a crowd when entertaining.
Ingredients in the Sous Vide Salmon and Fennel Salad:
Salmon Fillets:
I buy centre-cut salmon fillets with the skin on. This gives you flexibility to quickly fry the salmon, skin side down, after you have Sous Vide the fish, if desired. Or, easily remove the skin.
It is important to buy fish that is very fresh. Fresh fish should not have an overly “fishy” smell, rather, a mild ocean-like scent.
The salmon fillets should be firm and have a bright appearance.
Salmon is known for its myriad of health benefits. It is rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, packed with Vitamin B and a great source of protein. It is also truly delicious, especially when prepared in the Sous Vide.
Fennel:
Fennel is an incredibly popular vegetable, native to the Mediterranean. It is delicious raw, sliced thinly – it is crunchy, with a slight anise flavour. Fennel is also delicious when roasted, becoming slightly caramelised in flavour.
It also has many nutritional benefits; iron, potassium and Vitamin C to name a few.
You can eat all parts of a fennel bulb. Although closer in appearance to celery, fennel is actually a member of the carrot family.
Fennel is a beautiful accompaniment to the Sous Vide Salmon and works well with other fish dishes also.
Dill:
We use fresh dill fronds in our salad. Like fennel, dill is something that just works so well with seafood.
It is perhaps best known for being a flavour enhancer in pickles, and adorning potato salads.
Cherry Tomatoes:
I love adding a pop of colour to dishes, especially salads. By quickly roasting some cherry tomatoes, you enhance the flavour, adding a slight sweetness.
Although simple to prepare, this adds another fantastic element to the dish. We want this Sous Vide Salmon to highlight the many different flavours and textures these delicious ingredients have to offer.
Ingredients in the Fennel Salad Dressing:
- Miso
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Sesame Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Honey
Dressings should always have a balance of flavours. Miso is slightly salty and works well with the sharpness of the vinegar and lemon juice, sweetness of the honey and warmth of sesame oil.
This dressing packs a flavour punch, and only a small amount is required.
How to prepare the Sous Vide Salmon and Fennel Salad:
To begin, you’ll need to prepare the Sous Vide. Place the rack into the bottom of the ceramic bowl.
Add warm water to the bowl and fill up about half-way. (I use warm tap water.)
Put the lid on the Sous Vide and lock the handles in place. Attach the temperature probe into the jack, and through the lid.
Switch on the appliance and set the temperature and time. For this recipe, I cooked the salmon on 46 degrees C for 30 minutes.
As it reaches temperature, prepare your salmon by seasoning with salt and pepper, and placing in a seal lock bag.
Once the Sous Vide reaches the correct temperature, gently add the salmon, and lock the handles back into place.
Whilst the salmon is cooking, prepare the salad and miso dressing. Make the miso dressing by combining all ingredients and whisking gently.
Roast the cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Prepare the fennel by removing the core and the outer layer if it is tough, and thinly slice. Combine the fennel and tomatoes with some dill fronds, and a little lemon juice and olive oil.
Remove the salmon once cooked, and gently take out of the seal lock bag. At this point, you can fry it in a cast iron skillet skin side down for a few minutes or remove the skin and discard.
Plate your dish and enjoy the salmon whilst warm or allow to cool completely and serve cold.
Tips for Success:
This is a dish that works perfectly both hot or cold.
If enjoying hot, I recommend preparing the salad and dressing whilst the salmon is cooking in the Sous Vide.
If looking to enjoy the salmon cold, remove from the Sous Vide, and allow the salmon to cool to room temperature before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Prepare the salad and dressing when required.
What are some variations to this recipe?
This is an incredibly flexible recipe when it comes to varying what you serve the Sous Vide Salmon with.
Here are some ideas:
- If you are unable to find dill, flat-leaf parsley will also work well in the salad;
- Semi-dried tomatoes are a great alternative to cherry tomatoes;
- Try roasting your fennel for an added depth of flavour;
- If you are looking to increase your carbohydrate content, I would also add some boiled baby potatoes or even a side of soba noodles.
Other ways to enjoy salmon:
The beautiful flavours in this dish and perfectly cooked Sous Vide Salmon really are a delight. I do hope you’ll give this recipe a try, and I would love to hear from you in the comments below when you do!
Alex xx
Sous Vide Salmon with Fennel Salad
Equipment
- Sous Vide Machine
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 2 salmon fillets, approximately 200g each See Note 1
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Fennel Salad:
- 1 small bulb fennel See Note 2
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill fronds, roughly chopped
- ½ cup roasted cherry tomatoes
or semi-dried tomatoes See Note 3 - 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Miso Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 teaspoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon water
To Serve:
- 1 lemon
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salmon:
- To begin, you’ll need to prepare the Sous Vide. Follow the appropriate instructions on your device. For the Master Slow Cooker & Sous Vide:Place the rack into the bottom of the ceramic bowl. Add warm water to the bowl and fill about half-way up. (I use warm tap water.)
- Put the lid on the Sous Vide and lock the handles in place. Attach the temperature probe into the jack, and through the lid.Switch on the appliance and set the temperature and time. For this recipe, I cooked the salmon on 46 degrees C for 30 minutes.
- As it reaches temperature, prepare your salmon by seasoning with salt and pepper, and place in a seal lock bag.
- Once the Sous Vide reaches the correct temperature, gently add the salmon, and lock the handles back into place.
Miso Dressing:
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk gently.Set aside for serving.
Salad:
- If roasting your own tomatoes, preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. Coat the tomatoes with a teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper.Or, use semi-dried tomatoes.
- To prepare the fennel, remove the outer layer if it is tough. Remove the core and thinly slice.
- Combine the fennel and tomatoes with some dill fronds, and a little lemon juice and olive oil. (This will stop the fennel from discolouring)
To Serve:
- Once the salmon has finished cooking, remove from the Sous Vide Machine, and gently take out of the seal lock bag.Either remove the skin from the salmon, or quickly fry skin side down in a cast iron skillet to crisp the skin.
- Serve the salmon, alongside the fennel salad and miso dressing.
Notes
- I use centre cut salmon fillets with the skin on.
- The outer part of the fennel bulb can be quite tough – be sure to remove this, and any damaged/bruised areas, along with the core, before finely slicing.
- I either use some roasted cherry tomatoes or semi-dried tomatoes. To roast your own cherry tomatoes, add them to a baking dish with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. They will roast in the oven whilst the salmon is cooking.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Christie
That sous vide salmon is just divine especially with that fennel salad! Thanks for sharing Alex!
Alexandra
I am so pleased that you liked the recipe Christie, thank you for letting me know.
Katerina | Once a Foodie
I am so intrigued by the sous vide cooking method, Alex – I had no idea you could buy a sous vide appliance! And fennel, mmm, one of my favourite salad ingredients! This is a fabulous pairing. Thanks for sharing!
Alexandra
Katerina, I thought that sous vide was just for professional kitchens. How delighted am I to discover that it is also for the home cook, and I love that this appliance also has a slow cooker function. It is fantastically useful.
Rashmi
Wow… it looks so delicious… thanks for sharing the recipe dear 🙂
Alexandra
Thank you Rashmi, the salmon was indeed delicious, cooked to perfection in my sous vide/slow cooker appliance.
Bhawana
very well explained recipe post. This method of cooking I came across the first time and really wonderful. Surely this salmon recipe must be amazing.
Alexandra
Hi Bhawana, I am so pleased that you enjoyed the salmon recipe. My sous vide/slow cooker appliance cooked it perfectly.
Raymund
Thats a nice piece of salmon and goes well perfectly with fennel, I am so getting hungry now after this post.
Alexandra
Thank you, the salmon was delicious, cooked to perfection in the Sous Vide, such a fantastic piece of cooking equipment.
David @ Spiced
Interesting! I love the sous vide style of cooking, but I don’t do it near enough. For some reason, I never think about pulling the sous vide wand out. Salmon would be a great one to cook sous vide style, though. I’m thinking I need to make this…and that fennel salad? Sounds SO good right now. Love the recipe, Alex!
Alexandra
Thank you David, the sous vide cooked the salmon to perfection. It was meltingly tender and by cooking this method there was no “fishy” aroma. With winter just around the corner here the slow cooking function will be in regular use; a great piece of kitchen equipment.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Sounds like a great small appliance to have! That salmon looks perfectly cooked…and paired with fennel? YUM!! Such a fabulous meal, my friend 🙂
Alexandra
Thank you Dawn, it really is a fabulous appliance. The salmon cooked to perfection and was beautifully tender.
Gavin
Sous vide salmon is one of my fav ways to cook salmon. So delicate, cooked to the PERFECT temp but I’ve never done it with a fennel salad and that miso dressing has my name written all over it. Off to the shops for said ingredients!!
Alexandra
Thank you Gavin, I am delighted that you like the recipe. And I agree about cooking salmon using the sous vide method – the result was fantastic.
Tandy I Lavender and Lime
I use my sous vide cooker a lot. I like that yours doubles up as a slow cooker. Great buy! I vacuum seal everything just in case I want to cook it sous vide.
Alexandra
Tandy, what a great idea to vacuum seal food just in case you want to use the sous vide. I will definitely do that. I am so delighted with this piece of kitchen equipment and with winter just around the corner, the slow cooker function will be in regular use.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Your fennel salad sounds fabulous! We own a sous vide but haven’t used it lately. Now I’m thinking we need to break it out for some salmon soon!! XO
Alexandra
I was so delighted with the salmon that I can see the sous vide will be used often. I was enormously impressed that it was cooked to perfection and was deliciously tender. It was delicious.
Jamie
There’s so much good information here! I learned so much about sous vide and was able to make perfectly cooked salmon using your recipe. The whole family loves it and we’ll be making this again and again!
Alexandra
I am so pleased to hear that Jamie; this is a great cookery method, one that I will use a great deal in the future.
Caitlyn Erhardt
Beautiful recipe! This is going to be a big hit with my family.
Alexandra
I am delighted to hear that you like the recipe Caitlyn. The Sous Vide method is fantastic, the fish was perfectly cooked and beautifully tender; a huge success.
Rosa
This is the first time I’ve come across sous-vide cooking and I am very intrigued, thanks so much for sharing! Looking forward to giving this a try.
Alexandra
Hi Rosa, I am a convert to the sous vide method. It is so easy, I can see it being used regularly in the future. With winter just around the corner, the slow cooker function will also be fantastic.
Phenie
Ever since I started watching Masterchef (like from 12 years ago!) I’ve wanted to try to sous vide my salmon! This recipe sounds perfect with the miso dressing and accompanying fennel salad. Thanks!
Alexandra
Phenie, that is also when I first saw sous vide! I’ve been interested ever since so I was delighted to discover that it can be used in a home kitchen. The salmon was cooked to perfection. I do hope that you try it.
Lizet
You have my mouth watering 😋 all those flavors.
I’ve seen a few videos using that method for cooking, but it looked like a more complicated pot. This one looks simple enough for me to try!
Alexandra
Hi Lizet, this is such a simple method and the salmon is meltingly tender, absolutely delicious.
Sylvie
This is such a scrumptious looking dish! I love anything fennel and it works so perfectly with salmon. I’ve always been curious about the sous-vide method so I think it’s time I give it a go – this salmon looks cooked to perfection!
Alexandra
Sylvie, you won’t be disappointed, the sous-vide method is fantastic. I will be using it in many other ways. And with winter coming, the slow cooker will get a lot of use too.