Roasted Salmon with Lentils, Pomegranate and Chard

Sweet tart pomegranate brightens the flavors of salmon and earthy lentils; add Swiss chard and you have a satisfying meal with a varied nutritional profile. While chard stems are often discarded, they have great flavor, so we softened them with aromatics before simmering with our lentils, stirring in the leaves near the end of cooking. For the salmon, we wanted sweetness without a sugary glaze, so we painted it with pomegranate molasses. Fresh pomegranate seeds tied the dish together. Skin-on salmon holds together best during cooking, and the skin helps keep the fish moist. If your salmon is less than 1 inch thick, start checking for doneness early. If using farmed salmon, cook until thickest part registers 125 degrees. Lentilles du Puy, also called French green lentils, are our first choice, but brown, black, or regular green lentils will work (cooking times will vary). Pomegranate molasses can be found in the international aisle of well-stocked supermarkets; if you can’t find it, substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon mild molasses