These nutritious salmon walnut quinoa bowls with brussels sprouts, beets, and a tangy walnut cream sauce make a delicious and satisfying meal that includes lots of superfoods with cancer-protective nutrients! (gluten-free, dairy-free)

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Lively Table running!

You guys. I have some very exciting news to share with you today - it’s about new nutrition research!

I know, nutrition research is not always the most exciting. In fact, research was my least favorite thing about my master's program. But the truth is, nutrition research is very important to keep us all up to date with the latest recommendations, and I'm grateful to those who actually conduct it - because I certainly don't want to.

Anyway, back to the exciting news. A new pilot study done in women with breast cancer has shown that consumption of walnuts could play an important role in suppressing the growth and survival of tumors¹. This is BIG! In the study, women who consumed 2 oz of walnuts per day for about 2 weeks prior to tumor removal showed beneficial genetic changes that activated pathways that promote cancer cell death, while inhibiting pathways that promote cancer cell development and growth.

What's so cool about this study is that it was a clinical trial done in real humans, where each person served as her own control, not on animals or in a culture dish in a lab. There are very few human clinical trials when it comes to nutrition and breast cancer. It's also exciting because the intervention involves whole foods in an amount that's realistic for people to eat - not an extract of some sort or a ridiculous amount of food that one person could never consume in a day. Of course, it was a small study with few participants, so a larger study will be needed to confirm the results, but it's promising to me, especially given my genetic predisposition to breast cancer.

What does this news all mean? It means it's time to eat more walnuts!

I've created a delicious bowl full of nourishing superfoods to give you another way to fit walnuts into your everyday diet. We know from previous nutrition research that eating plenty of fruits, vegetables² (especially brassica vegetables like brussels sprouts³), and whole grains⁴ is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon and walnuts) is also thought to play a protective role when it comes to cancer, though the research there is less conclusive.⁵

I put all these components together in one nutritious bowl that's loaded with antioxidants, whole grains, protein, and good fat, so it's both tasty and super satisfying.

Pan-seared salmon, crispy brussels sprouts, beets, and toasted walnuts sit atop a bed of fluffy quinoa and leafy greens, all topped with a creamy, tangy walnut cream sauce. Leftover or pre-cooked quinoa and precooked beets make these bowls a cinch to make. I used the same skillet to toast the walnuts, cook the brussels sprouts, and sear the salmon for easy cleanup, but feel free to cook the salmon and brussels sprouts in separate pans if you'd like to cook them at the same time.

These salmon walnut quinoa bowls make a delicious, filling dinner. They're also great for lunch if you like to meal prep. Just portion everything straight into containers and refrigerate them until you're ready to eat.

What do you think about the results of this study? Are you convinced to start adding walnuts to your daily routine yet? I know I am!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating in the comments!

Salmon Walnut Quinoa Bowls

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For Walnut Cream Sauce:

½ cup California Walnuts
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup water
Pinch sea salt

For Bowls:

¼ cup California Walnuts
1 tbsp avocado or olive oil, divided
1 cup brussels sprouts, halved (quartered if very large)
1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
6 oz fresh salmon, divided into 2 filets
2 cups baby spinach or other leafy green
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup cooked beets (about 2 small beets), cut into ¼" cubes

Instructions

Make the walnut cream sauce. Place walnuts, lemon juice, and water in a food processor and blend until very smooth. Season with a pinch of sea salt and blend again. Set sauce aside.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add walnuts and cook, tossing occasionally, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set walnuts aside.
Turn heat up to medium and add ½ tablespoon of the oil to the skillet. Add brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until they brown on the outsides. Add balsamic vinegar and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir and continue cooking until brussels sprouts are slightly soft and outsides are crispy. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add remaining oil to the skillet. Squeeze lemon over salmon and season with salt and pepper. Place in the hot skillet and cook undisturbed until underside is crispy, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until fish is just cooked through to medium-rare. Remove from heat.
To assemble bowls, divide spinach and quinoa between two bowls. Divide brussels sprouts, beets, and toasted walnuts between bowls. Top each bowl with a salmon filet and drizzle with walnut cream sauce. Serve immediately, or place in containers with lids and refrigerate.