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I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach, gluten-free recipe creator, and home detoxification expert with a focus on gut health. I show burned-out women with digestive issues how to take a proactive, holistic approach to healing by sharing nutrient-dense recipes, and sustainable lifestyle tips that are easy to implement in everyday life.
Have you ever seen purple cauliflower in the grocery store and wondered what to do with it? You’re in luck! This delicious dinner recipe features pan-seared salmon with purple cauliflower, bok choy, and a delightful carrot-ginger purée that comes together in a snap.
This recipe is a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. It’s easy to make and the flavors are incredible. Whether you use white, orange, or purple cauliflower, you won’t be disappointed.
Purple cauliflower gets its beautiful color from naturally occurring anthocyanins. These are powerful antioxidants also found in red cabbage, sweet cherries, and dark berries.
Anthocyanins are anti-inflammatory. Additionally, they may help prevent type 2 diabetes, and promote heart and brain health. They may also have cancer-fighting properties, so eat up!
Fiber and Vitamin C
Like white cauliflower, purple cauliflower is high in vitamin C. It’s also a great source of gut-healthy fiber while being low in calories and carbohydrates. Regardless of the color, cauliflower is a highly nutritious vegetable.
Neutral Flavor
Cauliflower has a subtle, mild flavor, making it incredibly versatile in the kitchen. It pairs well with almost anything, effortlessly absorbing the flavors of the seasonings in any dish. The sauces in this recipe are your friend.
Salmon with Purple Cauliflower Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this highly nutritious sweet and savory dinner recipe.
Veggies:
Salmon Fillets – Each fillet should be 3-4 ounces. The recipe calls for 12-16 ounces, for 3-4 servings, but you can easily adjust up or down to suit your family size. Wild-caught salmon is best, and it can be fresh or frozen. If you opt for frozen, thaw it before rinsing and patting dry with paper towels.
Purple Cauliflower – 1 large head of purple cauliflower will do. It’s not an exact measurement. If you can’t find purple, any color works. To save time prepping, look for pre-chopped cauliflower florets. Trader Joe’s has a lovely rainbow cauliflower mix. You can also use frozen cauliflower florets, but they don’t hold their shape as well.
Carrots – I use orange carrots for the carrot-ginger purée, but any color will work. Leave the skins on for added fiber and nutrients.
Baby Bok Choy – With minimal natural flavor, bok choy is another versatile cruciferous veggie that’s easy to dress up with a yummy sauce. You can use full-size bok choy, too, but baby bok choy has better color. Pull the leaves apart and give them a good soak to remove dirt before slicing.
Shallot – I love the mild flavor of shallots, but a small onion works.
Ghee – Ghee adds a rich flavor to this recipe and doesn’t contain the inflammatory proteins or sugars in dairy. Consequently, people who can’t tolerate dairy often tolerate ghee. Use butter if you prefer.
Gluten-Free Soy Sauce – Conventional soy products are highly inflammatory, so I avoid them. Bragg Liquid Aminos is my go-to soy sauce alternative. It’s gluten-free, non-GMO, doesn’t contain MSG, and easy to find.
Gluten-Free Coconut Aminos – This sauce adds a touch of sweetness to the carrot-ginger purée. Coconut Secret is the brand I use. Theirs has less sugar than other brands I’ve tried.
Chicken Broth – A little broth makes the carrot-ginger purée thin and smooth. You can use any kind you like or water in a pinch.
Fresh Ginger – Ginger harmonizes the other flavors in the purée.
Mild Chili Powder Blend – This Savory Spice blend is a must-have in our kitchen. It contains chile peppers, garlic, cumin, California paprika, and Mexican oregano. It’s warm and savory, but there’s no heat so kids like it too.
Garnishes: I love sprinkling some microgreens on top to make the salmon and purple cauliflower look fancy while adding powerful nutrients. A few shakes of flakey sea salt and a couple of spins of fresh cracked black pepper finish it nicely.
How to Make Salmon with Purple Cauliflower
This recipe looks more complicated than it is. It’s all about timing as three things cook at once. It takes about 10 minutes to prep the veggies and about 20-25 minutes to cook everything. If you have a helper, assign one person to the salmon while the other cooks the purple cauliflower and makes the purée.
Read the instructions through first to prepare and then follow each step. See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full details.
Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry with a paper towel.
Steam the purple cauliflower florets and carrots until easily pierced with a fork. About 12-15 minutes.
In a large skillet, sauté the shallot and the light parts of the bok choy, in olive oil on medium-low. Stir occasionally until the shallots are translucent, and the bok choy is slightly tender, about 6-8 minutes.
In a separate skillet, pan fry the salmon fillets in ghee until the internal temperature reaches 145°, about 7-8 minutes, flip once halfway through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Add the steamed cauliflower to the bok choy along with the green tops. Pour the soy sauce and mild chili pepper seasoning over the veggies and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently cook until the sauce is warm, and the greens have wilted. Set aside and keep warm while you make the purée.
Combine the steamed carrots, chicken broth, coconut aminos, remaining ghee, and fresh ginger in a food processor. Process on high until smooth, about 60-90 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed.
Plate your dish. Smear a spoonful of carrot-ginger purée on the plate and top with the purple cauliflower mixture. Add the salmon fillets and finish with another dollop of the carrot-ginger purée. Garnish with microgreens, flakey sea salt and fresh cracked pepper if desired.
Alternative Preparation Methods
For simplicity and time, I use a combination of steaming, sautéing, and pan-searing for this recipe, but you can prepare the salmon and the purple cauliflower in different ways.
Try these alternatives for a different take:
Roast the purple cauliflower instead of steaming. This adds a lovely texture to the cauliflower and they’ll be a little more firm.
In a conventional oven, place the florets on a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper and roast at 400º for about 15-20 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.
In a Miele Combi-Steam oven, use the universal tray and cook on the combi-steam surround mode at 375ºF at 60% humidity for 18 minutes.
Convection bake the salmon in the oven in a glass casserole dish. Heat the oven to 350º and bake for about 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
Serving Suggestions & Storage Tips
This recipe is great as written, but a side of jasmine rice pairs well with it if you need something more substantial.
While best fresh, leftovers can be stored in air-tight glass containers. Keep each part of the recipe separate for best results when reheating.
Leftover veggies are great for breakfast or lunch with fried eggs and hemp seeds on top.
Get creative with the carrot-ginger purée. It’s a great dip for celery sticks or almond crackers or as a smear beneath a fresh salad.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes
I wasn’t kidding when I said cauliflower is versatile. It’s one of the best ways to get more vegetable servings while reducing your grain intake. Here are more delicious recipes you’ll love:
Discover the versatility of purple cauliflower in this delicious, colorful, and easy-to-make dinner recipe with pan-seared salmon and a delightful carrot-ginger purée. It’s surprisingly simple and healthy.
Ingredients
Scale
12–16 ounces fresh or frozen salmon fillets (thawed if frozen)
1 large head of purple cauliflower (or any other color), rinsed, trimmed and cut into florets
3 large carrots, skins on, roughly sliced
2 teaspoonsextra virgin olive oil
2 heads baby bok choy, rinsed, sliced, separate light stems from green tops
1 large shallot, sliced
1 tablespoonghee (or butter), divided
2 tablespoonsgluten-free soy sauce (such as Bragg Liquid Aminos)
1 teaspoonmild chili pepper blend
1/2 cupchicken broth
2 tablespoonsgluten-free coconut aminos (such as Coconut Secret)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
Microgreens (optional)
Flakey sea salt (optional)
Fresh cracked pepper (optional)
Instructions
Prep the Salmon: Rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry with a paper towel.
Cook the Purple Cauliflower: Steam the purple cauliflower florets and carrots until easily pierced with a fork. About 12-15 minutes.
Sauté the Shallot: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Sauté the shallot and baby bok choy stems, stirring occasionally until the shallots are translucent, and the bok choy is slightly tender, about 8 minutes.
Cook the Salmon: Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the ghee on medium. Pan fry the salmon fillets in the ghee until the internal temperature reaches 145°, about 7-8 minutes, flip once halfway through. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Combine the Veggies: Once the cauliflower and carrots are tender, add the cauliflower to the skillet of bok choy along with the green bok choy tops. Add the liquid aminos and mild chili pepper seasoning, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook until the sauce is warm, and the greens have wilted. Set aside and keep warm.
Make the Purée: In a food processor, combine the steamed carrots, chicken broth, coconut aminos, remaining ghee and fresh ginger. Process on high until smooth, about 60-90 seconds. Scrape the bowl if needed.
Plate and Serve: Smear a spoonful of carrot-ginger purée on the plate and top with the purple cauliflower and bok choy. Add the salmon fillets and top with another dollop of carrot-ginger purée. Garnish with microgreens, flakey sea salt and fresh cracked pepper if desired.
Notes
Serve with a side of jasmine rice for a heavier meal if desired.
Best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in air-tight glass containers. Store each part of the recipe separately for best results.
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