These salmon and zucchini papillotes are one of the best meals to add to your regular recipe list. It is really a perfect make-ahead dish that is easy to prep and pleases everyone. A colorful light meal idea for a lunch with girlfriends, a romantic dinner at home or just a quick weekday meal with your kids.

Papillotes are one of the easiest ways to prep dinner. You can make everything in advance, seal up the aluminum foil and place the little packets in the fridge. At dinner time you just need to move them from the refrigerator to the oven and that’s all the prep needed.

This salmon and zucchini papillote looks pretty and fancy enough to be served as a light lunch to your friends. It is also perfect if you are looking for a light recipe for a romantic dinner for two. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create rice hearts and you’ve a plate worthy of a Valentines Day dinner.

On the other hand, this salmon dish is also kid-approved. It has no complicated spices or sauces mixed in meaning you’ll have little trouble convincing them to have some. My kids approved unanimously of the tender fish. The fun zucchini ribbons were accepted by the 8- and 6-year-olds, but I must admit that the two smaller ones were unconvinced😂. The heart-shaped rice worked wonders with all of them though.

Salmon and Zucchini Papillotes Recipe (serves 6)

Ingredients

• 6 salmon chops
• 6 x 6-7 cherry tomatoes
• 4 small zucchinis
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt

Instructions

Heat the oven to 180C / 350F.

Cut as many squares in the aluminum foil as you have salmon chops. Make sure to leave enough space to seal correctly the edges.

Cut ribbons of zucchini with a vegetable peeler knife.

Place zucchini ribbons on top of the salmon without pressing them flat. The air needs to circulate inside the papillote.

Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top and sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt over everything.

Add a few cherry tomatoes to every papillote.

Seal up the foil by putting the edges next to each other and folding the seal back on itself for at least two times. Do the same with both ends. There has to be no openings at all for the air to enter inside. At the same time you should leave enough space inside the foil so that it wouldn’t press on the ingredients at all.

Bake for 20-25 min at 180C / 350F (depending on the size of your salmon chops).

Take out of the oven, open carefully and dinner is ready!

You can transfer the contents onto a plate or place the foil packages themselves on one. In you do that though, just warn your guests to be careful when opening the packages – as soon as there is an opening the steam will rush out and might burn their hands if they hold them just above the hot air stream.

I hope you got some inspiration here. For more easy recipes you should definitely subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram where in addition to recipe ideas I share my cooking & organizing tips and tricks plus some anecdotes of the life of a mom-of-4.