Recipe for salmon and quinoa patties with lemon-yogurt sauce
Here at the log house, we usually eat family style, serving ourselves from communal bowls and platters. However, every now and then, I like to fancy it up a bit. I don't mean that the food gets fussy or complicated; rather, I take an extra minute or two with presentation, even when it's just for my husband Ted and me. (How romantic is that?) We love salmon and quinoa patties burger size on a bun, with the lemon-yogurt sauce slathered on top, but this time, I used a 2-1/2 inch round pastry cutter to form them into delicate appetizer-size bites. Don't they look pretty? Quinoa takes the place of breadcrumbs, and cod or tilapia can stand in for the salmon. If you're making a big batch for a party, form them ahead of time and refrigerate, then bake right before serving.
Salmon and quinoa patties with lemon-yogurt sauce
From the pantry, you'll need: quinoa, eggs, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon, kosher salt, plain yogurt, granulated sugar, rice vinegar.
Inspired by a recipe for salmon-quinoa burgers on BlissdogYoga.com. Makes 16 mini patties (serves 4-8 people).
Ingredients
For the patties:
1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
3/4 lb fresh salmon, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
For the sauce:
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Zest of 1/2 lemon + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Directions
In a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup of water to the boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa; reduce heat to simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, then let the pan sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, leave the pan uncovered and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or coat with cooking spray).
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the patties and mix well.
Using a 2-1/2 inch round pastry cutter, or a small cookie cutter, form the patties; set the pastry cutter on the baking sheet, and fill it with 2-3 tablespoons of the salmon mixture. Press down with your fingertip to even the filling. Repeat until all of the salmon mixture is formed (you should end up with 16 patties, more or less, depending on the size of the mold you use).
Bake at 400F for 7 minutes. Turn the patties over, and bake for another 5-6 minutes.
While the patties are baking, quickly combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Serve the patties right out of the oven, drizzled with the sauce and some extra dill fronds for garnish.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Roasted salmon teriyaki
Miso-Sriracha glazed salmon
Cod cakes with red pepper, tarragon, and yogurt remoulade
Salmon croquettes with sesame-lime sauce
Pan-seared salmon with tomato-caper relish
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Chesapeake Bay blue crab cakes, from What We're Eating
Thai fish cakes, from Rasa Malaysia
Cod fish cakes, from Simply Recipes
Bacon-wrapped salmon cakes with asparagus, from Food Renegade
Wild salmon cakes with kaffir lime and ginger, from House of Annie
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These sound so much better than the cracker-crumb salmon patties I grew up eating, and I especially like the lemon-yogurt sauce. Very nice.
Well, it's very romantic, Lydia! And you get a great photo to share with us to boot! ;-) These look so tasty, too. I'll be replacing that dill (on of my nemeses--is the correct plural?) with something else, but I'm sure these patties will still be wonderful.
I love, love, love everything about this recipe!!
What a great idea to sub in quinoa. And I also like your use of the pastry cutter to shape the patties - I'm going to remember to try that.
We eat salmon patties all the time with gluten-free bread crumbs. What a great idea to use quinoa, another favorite patties/cakes ingredient. There will be pinning!
The quinoa is a great idea! and what a great party food!
Andrea, you've brought back a childhood memory of my grandmother's salmon patties. I think Ritz crackers might have been involved.
Shirley, parsley would be great in place of dill, or tarragon if it's in season.
Pam, thanks!
Kathy, I'm trying to put my collection of pastry cutters to some use, as I seldom make pastry!
Wendy, making quinoa in the slow cooker in larger batches, and keeping it in the fridge, makes this very easy.
Carol, these would be lovely for a dinner party. You can form them ahead, then bake right before serving.
Wow, sounds so good!! This will be made is my kitchen very soon!
Looks fabulous on those oval plates!
MissTasty, enjoy!
Susan, my summer intern, Chelsea, came to cook with me during her winter break, and we made these together. She did the plating, and I think it looks great.
Oh yes please! I love everything about this recipe and the presentation is fantastic!
Mmmmmm! These sound healthy and inviting! I was just cooking up a recipe for quinoa burgers! Great minds think alike ;-)
I just pinned it, don't want to forget about this recipe, such a nice presentation the way you made it!
loved it!
Looks good!
That's so sweet Lydia! And this quinoa recipe is amazing!
What a great idea to make this gluten-free. I'll have to try it once I get my hands on some quinoa.
I know we always say we have bookmarked a recipe, but I have definitely done so. This is something I need to make!!
Kalyn, all credit to Chelsea for the presentation! It was fun to cook with her again.
Kate, you could surely make these burger size. You'd get 4 burgers from this amount.
Sally, thank you! Pinterest is a great way to file your recipes. You can also use the "Save Recipe" button on each post here and create a Ziplist recipe box.
Jeff, it's delicious, I promise.
Nate, I love quinoa for the texture, and though we are not a gluten-free household, I like to have g-free dishes in my repertoire.
Bellini, your Canadian salmon will be delicious in this recipe.
My two favorite foods in the world (not counting chocolate.) I’m so making this. I don’t care if the kids boycott dinner yet again.
These look delicious! Do you think it would be possible to substitute canned salmon?
Elena, I've never tried it and don't really love canned salmon. But, then again, if it's all you have, why not give it a try? You might come up with something different, but equally delicious.
What is the equivalent for cooked quinoa?
Lorena, approximately 2/3 cup.