Red Thai Curry with Salmon and Vegetables
One of the barriers to eating the recommended two to three servings of fish a week is that many folks don’t know how to buy it or what to do once it’s home. It can seem easier to opt for a tried and true chicken breast than explore the unchartered waters of the fish case. So, before I launch into today’s recipe for Red Thai Curry with Salmon and Vegetables, I thought I’d pass on a few pointers.
Buying Fresh Fish
When I buy fish, it’s typically at a neighborhood shop where I trust what they stock. Even still, I always consider what looks best in the case that’s within budget. I often shift gears when I’m at the market. For example, if the tuna I had planned to buy doesn’t look up to snuff, I’ll find another fish that suits my needs. Here are a few more helpful tips:
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Get the scoop. Talk to your fishmonger about what’s on offer. Find out if anything was locally caught, what fish came in that day, and what they recommend.
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Have a good look. Fresh fish should sort of glisten, be moist and taut. If it looks dull, dried out, or mushy, find another option.
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Give it a whiff. It shouldn’t be stinky, but have a clean smell that reminds you of the sea.
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Keep it cold. Get your fish into the fridge as quickly as you can. If it’s a warm day, ask your retailer for a bag of ice to keep things cold during transportation.
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Cook it soon. Ideally, cook fish the day you buy it. The fresher the better.
Frozen Fish Tips
While nothing beats good quality fresh fish, frozen is a terrific, convenient, and often more economical option. Here’s what you should know:
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Inspect it. Give frozen fish a pass if you see excessive ice crystals or freezer burn.
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Defrost it right. The best way to thaw fish is gently, in the refrigerator, which can take several hours or overnight, depending on the thickness of the fish. If you don’t have the time for a slow thaw, immerse the frozen fish, still in it’s plastic, in a bowl of cold water.
Speaking of frozen fish, it’s a good way to go for a dish like this Red Thai Curry with Salmon and Vegetables. You cook the fish right in the broth, which results in a very tender piece of salmon that gets infused with the flavors of coconut milk and curry. It’s an immensely nourishing meal, full of those healthy Omega-3 fats, vitamin D (which many of us don’t get enough of), and loads of other nutrients.
If you like this Salmon and Vegetable Curry, you might also like:
Cajun-Spiced Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce
Sheet Pan Salmon with Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Feta
Red Thai Curry with Salmon and Vegetables
This is the sort of supper that will make you look like a real pro in the kitchen, yet nobody needs to know how easy it is to prepare. The combination of red curry paste and coconut milk is a magical one. The salmon gently cooks in the sauce, resulting in supremely tender fish that is as pretty to look at as it is tasty to eat. Serve with steamed brown rice or noodles.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 pound salmon fillet
- One 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla.nước chấm)
- 1 large sweet potato (8 ounces)
- 1 medium zucchini
- Large handful baby spinach
- 3 cups Steamed brown basmati rice (optional)
Instructions
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Chop the onion. Quarter the sweet potato lengthwise then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. Halve the zucchini lengthwise then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces.
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In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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While the onion cooks, pull any tiny bones from the salmon (tweezers can be useful for this). Cut into four equal pieces. Set aside.
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When the onions are tender, add the coconut milk, water, curry paste, brown sugar, and fish sauce, and stir until the ingredients are blended and the sauce is smooth. Add the sweet potato, stir, and turn the heat to high. When the liquid boils, drop the heat until it simmers, put on the lid, and cook the sweet potato until just tender, about 8 minutes.
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Nestle the 4 salmon pieces, skin side up, down into sauce surrounded by the sweet potato. Return the lid to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes.
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Gently turn the salmon over. Add the zucchini to the pot, doing your best to nestle it into the sauce. Return the lid and simmer until the salmon is done (it will be opaque in color and easily pull apart, about 3 minutes more (the time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish and it will continue to cook a bit even once it’s off the heat). Scatter the spinach over the curry and cover again with the lid. The spinach will wilt quickly.
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Serve in shallow bowls as is or spooned over steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
Red Thai curry paste is sold in the small jars in most supermarkets where you'll find other Asian ingredients. Thai Kitchen is a common brand. The level of spiciness varies by brand, so if you are sensitive to heat, start with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons and taste before you add the full 2 tablespoons. If you can't find red curry paste, you can substitute green (it's still delicious, but not as pretty).
I developed this recipe in collaboration with the National Fisheries Institute, which compensated me for my work.
Comments
01.23.2017 at4:17 AM #
Ejiekpe Michael
Hllo there my name is Chef Michael, am. A Nigerian and love this salmon meal however we do not have zucchini here in Nigeria so what other veg can do the trick? Blss
01.23.2017 at4:17 AM #
Katie Morford
Hi Chef Michael, so nice to hear from a reader all the way in Nigeria! This recipe really lends itself to substitution, so feel free to use any vegetable you like…carrots, sweet peppers, potatoes, etc. If it’s a longer-cooking vegetables like the sweet potatoes, just be sure to add it to the broth earlier to make sure it has time to cook through. Best of luck!
01.23.2017 at5:49 AM #
Alison eastwood
Yummy! I’ve been sending out the vibes for a new salmon dish to cook with my kids.
01.23.2017 at5:49 AM #
Katie Morford
Your wish is my command 🙂
01.24.2017 at11:51 AM #
Christina
Mmmmmmm – I just printed this out and will make it this week or next. We always love a new Katie Morford recipe!!
01.24.2017 at11:51 AM #
Katie Morford
Oh good. Hope you like it!
09.13.2017 at6:38 PM #
Brittany
Yum! Substituted with yellow curry because that’s what I had on hand. Kids ate it up over rice. Thanks!
09.13.2017 at6:38 PM #
Katie Morford
Awesome! Did you use curry paste or powder…just curious. I always like to know how people adapt these recipes.
09.13.2017 at7:23 PM #
Alison
Trying this tomorrow! It looks delicious but I am worried that 2 TBSP of red curry paste will be too spicy for my crew. I use the Thai Kitchen brand. Would green curry paste work as a substitute?
09.13.2017 at7:23 PM #
Katie Morford
Yes, you can use either. You can also just start with less, taste it, and add more depending on taste. That’s often how I do it.
01.14.2018 at7:04 AM #
Jen Suereth
Hi! What other types of fish could you use in this dish? Thanks!
01.14.2018 at7:04 AM #
Katie Morford
I think most firm white fish would work. I have made it with halibut and it was a success.
02.03.2018 at8:04 PM #
valentine day 8 feb
I was curious if you ever thought of changing the page layout of your
website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it
better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having
1 or two pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
04.03.2019 at10:36 PM #
Melanie De Leon
This recipe is 🔥!!!
I’m passing this to my daughter
03.27.2020 at7:53 PM #
Kristina
I just made this with some variations. Instead if rice I used chickpea rice, I also added 4 tsp of the red curry paste (still not hot enough), I added yellow, green, red and orange bell peppers and green onion. My girlfriend loved it.
I also removed the skin and broke ther salmon up into pieces. So yummy! I’d send a picture, however don’t see how.
03.27.2020 at7:53 PM #
Katie Morford
That’s so great to hear. Love that you added more curry…everyone has a different tolerance for heat!
04.30.2020 at7:22 PM #
Lisa
This recipe is delicious!! I was looking for something different to do with the salmon and my whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
04.30.2020 at7:22 PM #
Katie Morford
Awesome. So glad to hear that.
05.12.2020 at8:17 PM #
Grace
I have made this several times. One of our favourite salmon recipes. The first time exactly as posted and we both love the moistness and flavor the salmon has. Next time we wanted more veggies and I had no sweet potato, so I used potato cooked as suggested for 5 min, then added cut up carrots, cauliflower and peppers(all salted a bit) for the last 3 min. Followed the rest of the recipe from there. Delicious with basmati rice!
05.12.2020 at8:17 PM #
Katie Morford
Thanks for sharing, Grace. This is a staple in our house and I’m all for adding lots of veggies.
10.04.2021 at1:10 PM #
carol chait
could you use 1/2 red curry paste and 1/2 green curry paste? I find the small jars of curry paste they sell in the market are so small I often have less than I need and want to combine instead of having to buy another jar…quite expensive stuff. Let’s see, red plus green equals orange???
10.04.2021 at1:10 PM #
Katie Morford
Go for it. I would do the same.
01.08.2023 at10:27 PM #
Kate
Just made this tonight. It was delicious! I think next time I will try it with tofu instead of salmon for my son who is vegetarian. Thanks for a great recipe!
01.08.2023 at10:27 PM #
Katie Morford
That would be a perfect swap!
09.15.2024 at4:11 PM #
Heather Chamberlain
My first time ever cooking fish! It was delicious. Next time I will salt the fish before cooking. Looking forward to more of your fish recipes.
09.15.2024 at4:11 PM #
Katie Morford
Oh my gosh…that’s wonderful to hear! Thanks for the comment.