Summertime Mint and Cherries Whole 30 Baked Salmon

Searching for comfort food that leaves you feeling blissful hours later? This Whole 30 baked salmon is so juicy, filling and has the added comfort of roasted cherries with the brightness of fresh mint and lime juice. Even though summer is mostly spent indoors these days we can still celebrate at the table with summer fruit. I love to cook with colors and seeing a delicious pink salmon in the fridge and then seeing cherries on the counter was like seeing two things meant to be together. Red and pink are such harmonious colors and added green to brighten things up makes perfect food color sense.

Another reason I knew cherries would bliss out with salmon is because cherries have notes found in common pairings of salmon: wine and balsamic vinegar. Cherries are like solid wine, you just can’t get drunk on them unless they’re soaked in it.

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What is Whole 30?

I have completed about four Whole 30s but according to the program once is good. You eliminate common allergens and tummy troubled foods for 30 days then reintroduce them one by one to see how they feel. Instead of thinking gluten is bad for you because others are in pain from it, you get to give yourself a reset and decide for yourself. Check out the full program here.

When doing a Whole 30 I really crave comfort food that isn’t just eggs. I also crave crunch on a Whole 30 round, which is why I made these air fried crispy turkey thighs in my Ninja Foodi. This salmon also delivers comfort with the added benefit that salmon just feels good in the belly. Salmon actually boosts the serotonin in your body. It is like your body is telling you to eat it forever.

Choosing the Best Salmon

For any fish, you want to be able to smell it. Ask the fish person if you can and if they say no there might be a reason for it. Of course, right now it might just be for safety. When smelling you want a fish that has virtually no smell. You can also ask how fresh the fish is by asking when it arrived. Salmon flown in or caught that day is best but a day old is usually fine. If you can cook this recipe the day you get the fish that will be best. Another way to choose the freshest fish is by looking at the color and going for the reddest one on salmon. Sometimes color is added so this might not be the most accurate these days.

Finally, you can check the texture of the fish by touching it and making sure it is not soft to the touch but firm and epic feeling. If you find the right fish guy or gal or non-binary who is honest with you each time then eventually you can trust them to decide for you.

What You Will Need for This Whole 30 Baked Salmon

I used these sheet pans, mostly because they’re Nordic and I want to move to Norway someday. The pans are also highly rated, nonstick, and as epic as Norway is expected to be. Once I go to Norway I will report back if people there actually use them.  I also used avocado oil spray to make life easier and because spraying food reminds me of cheez whiz and childhood. For the cherries try to find in-season cherries and while I went for dark cherries any type will work in this recipe. Besides avocado oil, cherries, a sheet pan, and parchment paper all you will need is some fresh mint and lime. If you don’t have both mint and lime you can just use either mint or lime and it will still be delicious.

Pin It for Later!

For other Whole 30 Recipes Check Out These Delicious Mouth Times:

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Whole 30 BBQ Chicken

Whole 30 Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

Ninja Foodi Crispy Turkey Thighs

Instant Pot Poached Pears

Summertime Mint and Cherries Whole 30 Baked Salmon

Print

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 18 Minutes 18 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 9 calories 9 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 Pound of Salmon 20 Cherries - Halved and Pitted then Divided 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil (spray or standard) - see notes 1/2 tsp Salt 2 Limes Fresh Mint

Instructions

1. Preset the oven to 350 degrees
2. Pat salmon dry with paper towel *see notes
3. Spray or brush with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. I just sprinkle salt from a foot above the salmon until it's lightly coated.
4. Halve the cherries by using a small knife (I use a serrated one for fruit) and slicing from the top and around. This can get messy so use a bowl to put the pits in or do this next to the sink with the water running so you don't have to touch anything during the process.
5. Add half of the cherries to the pan, the other half will be used raw for a beautiful texture and flavor contrast on the finished dish. If you want them all roasted then plop them all in. You do you beautiful being.
6. Zest the lime over the salmon then cut the lime into slices and add the middle slices to each piece of salmon. Save the end pieces to juice over the finished salmon.
7. Bake for 18 minutes for medium-rare salmon with gently crispy skin or go for 21 minutes to get crispier skin and a medium level of cooked salmon.
8. Remove from the over and remove lime slices. Juice the ends of the lime over the salmon, add the fresh cherries, and use scissors to cut fresh mint over the salmon or chop with a knife.
9. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

1. For the avocado oil spray just spray it on and for standard use a brush or your hands to rub it in. 2. For sustainable paper towel options check out the bamboo ones below that can last up to six months and are soooo soft. I've recently been using thin cotton ones, also linked below, and just use them like paper towels and then throw them in the wash.

Salmon pears 😉 beautifully with an arugula salad.

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Multicolored Reusable Kitchen Towels – can replace paper towels