Sheet-Pan Harissa-Roasted Salmon & Spiced Vegetables

Immune-nourishing, cancer-protective, easy, and delicious!

Keyword: Dairy-Free (or can be), Fish & Seafood, Gluten-Free (or can be), Quick & Easy, Sides, Vegan (or can be), Vegetarian (or can be)

Servings: servings

Calories: 409kcal

1 large sheet pan mine's 12 by 19 inches; alternatively, two smaller sheet pans that fit in your oven side-by-side

24 oz skin-on salmon wild caught (leaner) or farmed (fattier); cut into 4 equal sections. Veg(etari)an version: substitute with baked tofu -- whole or cubed and marinated for several hours.
a squeeze of lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
2-3 tbsp harissa paste I love Zwita Foods' spicy, smoky, or mild harissa options
1 tbsp ginger finely grated; I use a Microplane zester
1 clove garlic finely minced or grated
½ tsp orange zest from an untreated (organic) orange; zested
¼ cup orange juice from about ½ orange -- use the orange you zested)
1-2 tsp honey to taste

1 small head cauliflower stem & green outer leaves removed; broken into bite-sized florets (larger florets may need to be halved or quartered)
2 medium purple-fleshed sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (no need to peel if they're fresh; just scrub under running water with a soft vegetable brush)
1 large red onion peeled and cut from root to stem (this creates firmer, less pungent slices that hold shape well for cooking, because it ruptures fewer cells, releasing less tear-inducing gas)
2 medium-large carrots cut into ½-inch slices (no need to peel if they're fresh; just scrub under running water with a soft vegetable brush)
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tsp ras el hanout Moroccan spice mix (more on this here); this one's the brand I used; this one's delicious too
¾ tsp salt
3 tbsp scallions thinly sliced, both white & green parts
¼ cup cilantro roughly chopped (both tender stems & leaves)

Heat oven to 450℉. Lay salmon on a plate, pat dry with paper towel, sprinkle with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together harissa, ginger, garlic, orange zest & juice, and honey. Spoon the mixture over the flesh and sides of the fish, and let marinate at room temperature.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the olive oil and scatter with ras el hanout and salt.
Arrange them on the sheet pan in one layer and roast for 15 minutes (until the potatoes and carrots are almost cooked through).
Toss the vegetables with a spatula and create four spaces on the pan for the salmon fillets. Add the salmon skin-side down, and roast until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 8 minutes more.
Scatter cilantro and scallions over everything, and season with flaky salt. Alternatively, drizzle with chermoula, a delicious Moroccan herb & spice emulsion (pictured in this recipe).