This salmon recipe is simply divine with its luscious honey blackberry sauce, cardamom and a touch of orange.

I love a good salmon recipe and with all its wonderful health benefits, I try to eat it at least a couple times a week. I always feel so good after eating this hearty superfood and am thankful I enjoy it so darn much! Eating salmon so often, however, encourages a desire to mix up how I make it, so lately I’ve been pondering what to do with it next.

Since I love making seasonal dishes, sweet summer blackberries came to mind. Blackberries bring about fond memories of summers in Oregon where I spent most of my life and where you’ll find blackberries growing everywhere! Come July, there was never a need to buy them at the grocery store as there’s an endless supply in fields, parks or even on the side of the road. They’re so delicious that I can close my eyes and almost taste those sweet Oregon blackberries warmed by the sun and pulled fresh from the vine.

So, blackberries it is! I decided to make a tasty little sauce to go on top of the salmon with sweet blackberries, a little balsamic vinegar, a touch of orange juice and more. Come with me and I’ll show you how to make it.

Why You’ll Love this Salmon Recipe

• The blackberry sauce has just the right amount of sweet and savory.
• Balsamic vinegar and orange juice add nice tang and acidity to the dish.
• Cardamom gives the sauce a delightfully unique flavor.
• This recipe is not only guilt free, but one of the healthiest meals you can indulge in.

What’s in this Blackberry Salmon Recipe?

Salmon – Choose two filets, about 6 ounces each. I bake it with the skin on, but do not eat it.

Olive Oil – The olive oil is used to bake the salmon and sauté some of the sauce ingredients.

Blackberries – Choose berries that are as ripe as possible. When ripe, blackberries will be black in color without any red, but not mushy (overripe).

Balsamic Vinegar – This adds nice acidity and flavor to the sauce.

Orange Juice and Zest – I like to use fresh orange juice and then garnish the salmon with a little zest before serving.

Honey – This adds sweetness to the sauce.

Brown Sugar – For a little extra sweetness.

Garlic – You’ll just need 1 clove.

Shallots – For a little added flavor.

Cardamom – I use ground cardamom. It adds a unique and delicious flavor to the sauce.

Black Pepper – A little black pepper is added to the salmon prior to baking.

Salt – Lightly salt the salmon before baking and add just a pinch to the sauce.

How to make this Salmon Recipe

Make the Salmon

The first thing I do is preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.

Next, I brush a little olive oil on the foil underneath where I’ll add the salmon, so it doesn’t stick when it’s done baking.

I then add the two salmon filets on top of the oiled foil, brush the top with more olive oil and sprinkle the salmon with a little chunky salt and pepper.

I place the salmon in the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes until the center reaches 145 degrees.

Make the Sauce

While the salmon is baking, I start on my sauce by adding the vinegar, orange juice, honey, brown sugar, cardamom, and pinch of salt to a bowl and mix the ingredients until combined.

Then, I heat about a Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat, add the shallots and garlic to the pan, and sauté for about a minute.

Next, I add about 1 cup of the blackberries and the vinegar mixture to the skillet and begin immediately smashing the blackberries with the back of a large spoon. A serving spoon works well.

After smashing the blackberries, if the sauce is not already boiling, I bring it to a gentle boil and reduce the heat to simmer.

I then simmer and reduce the sauce for about 8 minutes, continuing to smash the blackberries and stirring occasionally.

Next, I gently stir in the last ¼ cup of blackberries and continue to cook the sauce for an additional 2 minutes, leaving the last of the blackberries whole. I love how pretty and tasty the sauce is with a few whole berries.

Garnish and Serve the Salmon

When the salmon is ready, I remove it from the oven and dish it onto the serving plates.

Lastly, I top each filet with half of the blackberry sauce. top it with a small orange slice and/or a little orange zest for garnish and dig in. Yum!

What to serve with this Blackberry Salmon Recipe

There’s a lot you can serve alongside this dish. My goal when making something like this is to make side dishes that are simple (but tasty), that allow the main dish to remain the “star of the show.” Here are a few ideas:

Salad – A green side salad with a champagne or light fruity (but not too sweet) vinaigrette works well with this recipe.

Rice – Simple white rice with a butter or non-dairy buttery spread, salt and pepper is an option. This basic side dish allows the salmon to remain part of the show.

Potato – Mashed potatoes or baked potatoes always go well with salmon. I recommend keeping potato recipes simple.

Vegetable – Asparagus is a great choice alongside salmon. Chop the ends off the asparagus and add a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes. Add parmesan and continue roasting for an additional 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the asparagus can be easily pierced with a fork.

Green beans are another option that can be roasted the same way as the asparagus but will need and additional 2-4 minutes of roasting time. Just add the parmesan 2 minutes before removing it from the oven

Bread – Bread served with oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper goes for dipping is a great accompaniment. Butter or non-dairy buttery spread with the bread is another obvious option if that’s your preference.  

Beverages – Nice red wine pairings include Malbec (my husband’s fav), Pinot Noir (there’s some great Oregon pinots), or Merlot. Ginger ale goes really well with the blackberry sauce as well. A simple sparkling water with lemon is another option.

Making Ahead and Storing Leftovers

Making Ahead – You can make the sauce ahead of time, but I recommend baking the salmon fresh.

Storing Leftovers – Store leftover salmon and sauce separately in the refrigerator. Salmon is always best fresh. I usually cook it the day I purchase it, but you can store it for 1 day. The sauce is good in the fridge for 3 days and is also great on chicken.

Reheating Leftovers – Leftover salmon and sauce can be rewarmed in the microwave. The sauce can also be reheated in a skillet.

I hope you enjoyed making this blackberry salmon recipe with me. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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