Pan-seared salmon with cabbage and spinach is a one-skillet meal that is sure to please. It’s easy to make, healthy, and delicious. Try it for dinner!

About pan-seared salmon with cabbage and spinach
I don’t remember when we started making this at home, but it has become one of our favorite quick meals. Maybe we had some leftover cabbage from making slaw or lentil cabbage soup; I’m not sure, but one night we chopped up some onions and cabbage and tossed those items in with pan-seared salmon fillets. And, because it wasn’t quite green enough, we tossed in some spinach too. The rest is history – to us at least. Today, I’m sharing this favorite with you.
Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for this one-skillet meal.
- Salmon fillets – skinless, boneless fillets work best.
- Cabbage – use about half of a head or a bag of pre-sliced cabbage.
- Spinach – bagged baby spinach adds flavor and green color.
- Onion – adds flavor to this savory dish.
- Seasonings – Jane’s Krazy salt is a good choice. Add pepper if you like.

Making pan-seared salmon with cabbage and spinach
1. Prep for cooking
- Thaw out the salmon fillets.
- Cut the cabbage and onion into thin strips.
2. Pan-sear salmon fillets on one side
- Heat the skillet on medium-high heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the salmon fillets and cook them on medium-high heat for two-three minutes to brown them on one side.
- Use tongs to turn them over.

3. Add the cabbage and onion
- Scoot the fish to one side of the skillet.
- Lower the heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Arrange the cabbage and onion strips around the salmon fillets.

4. Cook the cabbage and onion
- Reduce the heat to a low-to-medium setting.
- Cover the skillet.
- Cook for about four minutes.
- Using tongs or other utensils, stir the cabbage and onion to cook and soften them.

5. Add the spinach
- After the cabbage and onion have cooked a bit, add the spinach, mixing it in with the cabbage and onions.
- Put the cover back on the skillet.
- Spinach cooks quickly, so cook the mixture for 2-3 more minutes until the spinach is cooked.
- When it’s finished cooking, it will look like the picture below.

Serving pan-seared salmon with cabbage and spinach
Even though this is a one-skillet meal, it pairs well with some sort of starch. We enjoy it with air-fryer potatoes, brown and wild rice pilaf, or just plain brown rice.

Why cook cabbage with pan-seared salmon?
Cabbage, in addition to tasting good, is packed with nutrients and it’s low in calories. It also has a high fiber content. Raw cabbage is a great addition to salads and it forms the basis of slaw salads. You’ve probably had it on fish tacos too. Overall, it’s a versatile veggie that can be eaten raw or cooked. I usually buy it whole and cut it up, but you can find it in the produce section already cut and bagged for you. It goes well with this pan-seared salmon, other fish, and is great in soups and salads. I used green cabbage in this recipe, but red (really a purple color) is good option when you want to add some color to a recipe.
Other recipes you might like
If you like fish, you might enjoy:
If you’re a fan of cabbage, try:

Pan-Seared Salmon with Cabbage and Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 fillets of salmon about 112 grams each, or 4 ounces each
- 1 cup cabbage sliced
- 1 cup spinach bagged pre-washed
- ¼ cup yellow onion sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil separated
Instructions
- Thaw out the salmon fillets.
- Cut the cabbage and onion into thin strips.
- Heat the skillet on medium-high heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the salmon fillets and cook them on medium-high heat for two-three minutes to brown them on one side.
- Use tongs to turn them over.
- Scoot the fish to one side of the skillet.
- Lower the heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Arrange the cabbage and onion strips around the salmon fillets.
- Reduce the heat to a low-to-medium setting.
- Cover the skillet.
- Cook for about four minutes.
- Using tongs or other utensils, stir the cabbage and onion to cook and soften them.
- After the cabbage and onion have cooked a bit, add the spinach, mixing it in with the cabbage and onions.
- Put the cover back on the skillet.
- Spinach cooks quickly, so cook the mixture for 2-3 more minutes until the spinach is cooked.
- Serve right away.
Nutrition

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