Sheet-Pan Dijon-Dill Salmon with White Beans and Summer Squash

A weeknight salmon dinner that solves the two-cook problem: one sheet pan feeds a fish eater and a vegetarian without making two dinners. The white beans and summer squash roast together as a shared base. On one side of the pan a salmon fillet goes on top, brushed with a lemon-dijon glaze; the other side of the base gets spooned over rice as a vegetarian grain bowl. Same prep, two plates.

Serves 2 (split plate). Active time: 15 min. Total time: 30 min.

Ingredients

Shared base

• 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 small zucchini or summer squash (about 2 cups), sliced into half-moons
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges (optional, from the roasting sheet)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Salmon plate

• 1 salmon fillet (~5 oz / 140 g), skin on or off
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 lemon (juice plus a little zest)
• 2 tbsp fresh dill (or parsley), chopped

Vegetarian plate

• 3/4 cup cooked white rice (from the prep-day batch)
• A spoonful of house vinaigrette
• Optional: crumbled feta or a shower of nutritional yeast

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). On a rimmed sheet pan, toss the beans, zucchini, onion, and sliced garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the salt, and the pepper. Spread in a single layer, leaving room on one end for the salmon.

2. Whisk the Dijon, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon into a quick glaze. Pat the salmon dry, set it on the cleared end of the pan, and brush the glaze over the top.

3. Roast 14 to 18 minutes, until the salmon flakes at the thickest part (an instant-read thermometer reads 125–130°F for medium) and the squash edges are browned.

4. Finish the salmon with lemon zest and most of the dill. Plate the salmon over half the bean-and-squash base.

5. For the vegetarian plate, spoon the other half of the base over warm rice, add a spoonful of vinaigrette, the remaining dill, and feta or nutritional yeast if you like.

Notes

• Split-plate logic. The base is built to divide cleanly in two. Roast it all together; only the salmon is single-portion, so the fish eater and the vegetarian share one pan and one cleanup.
• Spice. Kept mild by design. A few rings of pickled banana pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes is as far up as this goes.
• Make it shrimp. Out of salmon? The same base takes a handful of peeled shrimp in the last 7 minutes of roasting.
• No dairy needed. The dish is dairy-free as written; feta is an optional accent on the vegetarian bowl only.