RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Spring Pick: Instant Pot Meals

Poached Salmon with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce

Salmon fillets gently cooked in the Instant Pot over a lemon and dill court-bouillon, served with green beans and a cool lemon-dill yogurt sauce.

Why you'll love Poached Salmon with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce

Poached salmon with a cool dill sauce is a spring classic, the dish that turns up on Easter and Mother's Day tables because it is elegant, light, and just as good warm as it is chilled. Cooked over a fragrant liquid of lemon, dill, bay, and peppercorns, the fish stays moist and silky and picks up a gentle herbal flavor.

The Instant Pot makes it nearly foolproof. The fillets sit on the trivet above a court-bouillon, the aromatic poaching liquid of French cooking, and the pressure cooks them evenly in a few minutes with the moist, gentle heat of a poach. A quick release stops the cooking right away so the salmon comes out tender. The same liquid then cooks the green beans on the sauté setting, so they pick up the lemon and dill as well.

The sauce is whole-milk Greek yogurt with plenty of fresh dill, lemon zest and juice, a little Dijon, and olive oil. It is thick and tangy, and it takes two minutes to stir together while the pot comes up to pressure.

Quick overview: This Poached Salmon with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 35 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 1 fillet with green beans and sauce. You'll need an Instant Pot.

Jump to recipe

Poached salmon with lemon-dill yogurt sauce and green beans
Prep 10 minCook 25 minTotal 35 minServes 4Serving 1 fillet with green beans and sauceYou'll need Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus a handful of dill stems and sprigs to finish
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, plus ground pepper to finish
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 6 oz each, 1 inch thick)
  • 1 lb green beans, trimmed
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely grated

Instructions

  1. Build the court-bouillon: Pour the water into the Instant Pot and add the lemon slices, dill stems, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Set the trivet in the pot. The aromatics flavor the steam that rises around the fish as it cooks.
  2. Add the salmon: Season the flesh side of the fillets with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and lay them skin side down on the trivet in a single layer, with a little space between them.
  3. Pressure-cook: Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. Quick-release the pressure as soon as the time is up. Check the thickest fillet with an instant-read thermometer: it should read 145°F (63°C) and flake easily. If it is short, close the lid for 2 minutes on the keep-warm setting and check again. The quick release stops the cooking so the salmon stays moist.
  4. Make the sauce: While the pot comes to pressure, stir together the yogurt, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let it sit so the garlic and dill flavor the yogurt.
  5. Cook the green beans: Lift out the salmon with a wide spatula and set it on a platter. Remove the trivet and fish out the lemon slices and bay leaf. Set the Instant Pot to sauté, add the green beans to the court-bouillon, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain them and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
  6. Serve: Arrange the salmon and green beans on plates, spoon the lemon-dill sauce over the fish, and finish with dill sprigs and ground pepper. Serve warm, or chill the salmon for an hour and serve it cold.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the salmon, green beans, and sauce in separate sealed containers for up to 3 days. Poached salmon is very good cold, flaked over greens or eaten straight from the refrigerator with the sauce.

To warm, cover and heat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water. Cooked salmon becomes dry and crumbly once frozen, so this one is best kept in the refrigerator.

Variations

  • Arctic char or trout: Use arctic char or thick trout fillets and cook for 2 minutes at high pressure.
  • With capers: Stir a tablespoon of chopped rinsed capers into the sauce for a briny edge.
  • Asparagus: Use trimmed asparagus in place of the green beans and simmer it for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Horseradish: Stir a teaspoon of prepared horseradish into the sauce for a little heat.

Notes and tips

  • Match the thickness: Fillets of the same thickness cook evenly. Fold a thin tail end under itself to make it as thick as the rest.
  • Cooking from frozen: Frozen fillets of the same size need 5 minutes at high pressure. Check for 145°F (63°C) before serving.
  • Keep the skin on: The skin holds the fillet together on the trivet and slides off easily once the fish is cooked.
  • Make the sauce first: The yogurt sauce tastes better after 15 minutes, and it keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Salmon brings a full serving of protein and the long-chain omega-3 fats, and gentle moist cooking keeps it tender.
  • Whole-milk Greek yogurt adds more protein and real fat to the sauce, along with the tang of live cultures.
  • Green beans fill half the plate with fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and the court-bouillon seasons them as they cook.
  • Dill and lemon bring fresh, bright flavor, so the plate tastes lively with only a modest amount of salt.
  • As you eat, notice the silky fish against the cool, herby sauce, and check in later: a plate like this should hold you comfortably for 4 hours, with steady energy and no craving afterward.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Poached Salmon with Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

What is a court-bouillon?

A quick aromatic liquid of water, lemon, herbs, and peppercorns used in French cooking to poach fish and seafood.

Why use the trivet?

It holds the fillets above the liquid, so they cook evenly in the aromatic steam and lift out whole.

Can I serve it cold?

Yes. Chill the cooked salmon for at least an hour and serve it with the sauce for a light spring lunch.

Can I use sour cream in the sauce?

Yes. Full-fat sour cream with a label of cream and cultures works in place of the yogurt for a milder sauce.

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Tags: Spring Pick, Instant Pot Meals, Scandinavian-Inspired