Oven-Baked Salmon with Za'atar and Tahina (Ottolenghi-Inspired)
Delicious and ready in no time, this oven-baked salmon is seasoned with oriental spices and tahini.
Recipe Categories:
There’s a welcome contrast here: fatty salmon roasted in a halo of aromatic za’atar and creamy, tangy tahini sauce. This oven-baked salmon with za’atar and tahina is inspired by Ottolenghi’s Shelf Love (recipe source), where Middle Eastern flavors turn a simple fish supper into something fragrant and memorable. If you’re searching for a one-pan fish recipe with weeknight ease and clear, bold flavor, this is a favorite I return to each season.
You’ll sear and bake in a single pan. Spinach provides a soft green bed and soaks up the zesty, nutty sauce — so don’t skimp there, especially with fresh baby leaves. Za’atar (a spice blend of thyme, sesame, and sumac) brings its lemony-earthy lift to the salmon crust. No za’atar on hand? Make your own: toast sesame seeds and combine with sumac, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and a little salt.
Tahini sauce is silky and sharp, and extra is always welcome for dipping potatoes or leftover veggies. Fresh lemon juice is well worth using for the brightest note. Boiled potatoes round out the dish for comfort and balance — try using new potatoes if they’re in season for a lighter climate footprint and gentler texture.
The method is simple, but the flavors stay on your mind. Serve everything straight from the pan and finish with a quick scatter of fresh coriander. Enjoy the steam, the color, and the barely-there effort.
Related Recipes
Jamie Oliver's Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickles
Roasted salmon with Jamie Oliver's Asian korma marinade - with two great, easy side dishes.
Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas
A twist on the viral TikTok hit, with chickpeas instead of pasta. Super easy to prepare and in half an hour you have a great meal out of the oven.
Baked Eggplant with Ebly
Inspired by Ottolenghi: our baked eggplant from the oven is simple and delicious, especially in combination with our fresh yogurt sauce.
Recipe
Salmon with zaatar and tahina from the oven
Ingredients
Preparation Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
Servings: 2
- • 2 salmon fillets (approx. 300–350g total), skin on if possible
- • 1 teaspoon za'atar
- • 1 teaspoon sumac
- • 30ml olive oil, divided
- • 175g baby spinach
- • 50g tahini
- • 1–2 cloves garlic
- • 2 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh, if possible)
- • 1 teaspoon fresh coriander
- • Salt
- • Pepper
- • 300g potatoes (as a side dish)
Ingredients
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 10 min
Total Time: 25 min
- • 2 salmon fillets (approx. 300–350g total), skin on if possible
- • 1 teaspoon za'atar
- • 1 teaspoon sumac
- • 30ml olive oil, divided
- • 175g baby spinach
- • 50g tahini
- • 1–2 cloves garlic
- • 2 teaspoons lemon juice (fresh, if possible)
- • 1 teaspoon fresh coriander
- • Salt
- • Pepper
- • 300g potatoes (as a side dish)
Instructions
- 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (convection).
- 2 Peel the potatoes and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 15–20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife.
- 3 Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper. In a small bowl, mix together the za'atar, sumac, a pinch of salt, and some pepper. Press this mixture gently onto the top of the salmon to form a flavourful crust.
- 4 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted; season lightly with salt and pepper. Push the spinach to one side of the pan and place the salmon fillets, skin side down, in the centre. Sear the salmon for about 1 minute. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil.
- 5 Transfer the entire pan to the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.
- 6 While the salmon begins to bake, peel and finely dice the garlic. In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, a large pinch of salt, and 50ml water until smooth and runny. Adjust consistency with more water if needed.
- 7 Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven (use oven gloves). Pour the tahini sauce over the spinach, avoiding the salmon as much as possible. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 5–10 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and the tahini sauce is bubbling gently.
- 8 Wash and finely chop the coriander. Drain the potatoes when tender.
- 9 To serve, spoon the spinach and tahini sauce onto plates, top with the salmon, and scatter with coriander. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Serve with the warm potatoes alongside.
Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint: 2212 g CO₂e
This ranks it number 43 out of 59 recipes published on the blog so far in terms of estimated carbon footprint.
It therefore belongs to the tertile of recipes with the highest emissions (bottom 33%). 😮
Looking at the individual ingredients, the salmon and potatoes stand out. Each accounts for around a third of the weight of the ingredients, but their carbon footprints are very different: while the two salmon fillets produce around 1.6kg of CO2 equivalents, accounting for 74% of the climate impact of this recipe, the potatoes are responsible for a modest 60g of CO2 equivalents (3% of the dish's emissions).
Comparison of Ingredients
| Ingredients | Carbon footprint per kg | Carbon footprint for recipe | % of ingredients | % of CO₂ emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| salmon | 5.1 | 1641 | 36% | 74% |
| za'atar | 1.1 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| sumac | 1.1 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| olive oil | 3.2 | 96 | 3% | 4% |
| baby spinach | 0.2 | 35 | 19% | 2% |
| tahini | 0.9 | 43 | 5% | 2% |
| garlic | 0.5 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| lemon juice | 0.6 | 7 | 1% | 0% |
| coriander | 1.2 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| salt | 0.7 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| pepper | 1.2 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| potatoes | 0.2 | 60 | 33% | 3% |
| Sear salmon in frying pan | 61 | 3% | ||
| Bake salmon in oven | 199 | 9% | ||
| Boil potatoes | 49 | 2% |
Instructions
- 1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (convection).
- 2 Peel the potatoes and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 15–20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife.
- 3 Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper. In a small bowl, mix together the za'atar, sumac, a pinch of salt, and some pepper. Press this mixture gently onto the top of the salmon to form a flavourful crust.
- 4 Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted; season lightly with salt and pepper. Push the spinach to one side of the pan and place the salmon fillets, skin side down, in the centre. Sear the salmon for about 1 minute. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil.
- 5 Transfer the entire pan to the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.
- 6 While the salmon begins to bake, peel and finely dice the garlic. In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, a large pinch of salt, and 50ml water until smooth and runny. Adjust consistency with more water if needed.
- 7 Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven (use oven gloves). Pour the tahini sauce over the spinach, avoiding the salmon as much as possible. Return the pan to the oven and bake for a further 5–10 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through and the tahini sauce is bubbling gently.
- 8 Wash and finely chop the coriander. Drain the potatoes when tender.
- 9 To serve, spoon the spinach and tahini sauce onto plates, top with the salmon, and scatter with coriander. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Serve with the warm potatoes alongside.
Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint (2 portions): 2212 g CO₂e
This ranks it number 43 out of 59 recipes published on the blog so far in terms of estimated carbon footprint.
It therefore belongs to the tertile of recipes with the highest emissions (bottom 33%). 😮
Looking at the individual ingredients, the salmon and potatoes stand out. Each accounts for around a third of the weight of the ingredients, but their carbon footprints are very different: while the two salmon fillets produce around 1.6kg of CO2 equivalents, accounting for 74% of the climate impact of this recipe, the potatoes are responsible for a modest 60g of CO2 equivalents (3% of the dish's emissions).
Comparison of Ingredients
| Ingredients | Carbon footprint per kg | Carbon footprint for recipe | % of ingredients | % of CO₂ emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| salmon | 5.1 | 1641 | 36% | 74% |
| za'atar | 1.1 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| sumac | 1.1 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| olive oil | 3.2 | 96 | 3% | 4% |
| baby spinach | 0.2 | 35 | 19% | 2% |
| tahini | 0.9 | 43 | 5% | 2% |
| garlic | 0.5 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| lemon juice | 0.6 | 7 | 1% | 0% |
| coriander | 1.2 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| salt | 0.7 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| pepper | 1.2 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| potatoes | 0.2 | 60 | 33% | 3% |
| Sear salmon in frying pan | 61 | 3% | ||
| Bake salmon in oven | 199 | 9% | ||
| Boil potatoes | 49 | 2% |