Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa

Sweet Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon features tender, glazed salmon with a spicy, zesty salsa in this delicious seafood recipe.

This recipe was created for my client, the Cherry Marketing Institute, but all opinions are my own.

I'm mildly obsessed with superfruits, which are basically the health super heroes of the fruit world. They provide so many valuable nutrients like antioxidants and just taste so good too. Really, I can't get enough of pomegranates, adore blueberries and crave cranberries (which are huge here in New England). Recently, I got to try another superfruit -- tart cherries.

Are you familiar with tart cherries? I wasn't until a big ol' package of them arrived in my mailbox recently courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. But after one sweet-and-sour taste I realized two things: I've had them before, and the tangy flavor is slightly addictive. They are available all year in frozen, dried  or juice form. The dried are my fave and make a great addition to salads, cookies and trail mixes. But the frozen ones are delicious too and they can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

So, what about these healthy attributes to the tart cherry? According to the Cherry Marketing Institute, more than 50 studies on tart cherries linked it to anti-inflammatory benefits, arthritis pain reduction and heart health benefits. It might even be helpful for post-workout recovery.

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa is a great way to get some tart cherries into your diet (Psst! February is National Cherry Month). For this recipe, I used frozen tart cherries to make a slightly spicy and very zesty salsa that goes so well with the sweet Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon. The contrast of zesty spiciness and sweetness is irresistible. It's the kind of thing that could lead to licking the plate clean ... if no one is looking, of course.

Also, this is a recipe easy enough to make for a quick lunch or dinner. It's ready in about 30 minutes, total ... though you could also make it low-effort when you are in a pinch by making the salsa ahead of time. Save leftover salsa for dipping tortilla chips in or enjoying over tacos.

Have you had tart cherries before? Do you like them?

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Yield: 4 servings

Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon with Rustic Tart Cherry Salsa

Sweet Honey-Tart Cherry Glazed Salmon features tender, glazed salmon with a spicy, zesty salsa in this delicious seafood recipe.

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Ingredients

Salsa:

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• 1 cup chopped tart cherries, thawed from frozen
• 1 small red onion, diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• salt and pepper, to taste

Salmon:

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• 1 lb salmon fillet, cut into four pieces
• ¼ cup tart cherry juice, I used juice from the frozen cherries
• ¼ cup honey

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the ingredients for the salsa until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment (foil preferred). Rinse the salmon fillets under cool water and pat dry with a paper towel. Arrange on the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cherry juice and honey. Spread half of the mixture over the salmon fillets, reserving the second half.
4. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until just about cooked through. Drizzle the second half of the tart cherry-honey mixture over the fillets and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly golden at the edges.
5. Serve the salmon fillets on a bed of greens with the tart cherry salsa on top. Enjoy!

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute and Kitchen PLAY. I am being compensated for developing this recipe and also for writing this blog post. All opinions expressed are my own.