Baked cod is a really simple, nutritious meal and should definitely become part of your weekly repertoire. This moist, flavourful and flaky fish plus salsa verde and a simple green salad is all you need for this winning weeknight recipe.

Baked cod with salsa verde ingredients

It couldn’t be simpler! All you need is:

• Cod: Use cod loin for this recipe as it’s the meatiest part of the fish. You can also make this recipe with other white fish like haddock or halibut, or oily fish like salmon or rainbow trout.
• Olive oil: Keeps the fish moist and succulent (shop my favourite olive oil via this link and use the code charlotte15 for 15% discount). You can also use melted ghee if preferred (get 20% off my favourite ghee via this link).
• Seasoning: Sea salt and cracked black pepper to season the fish.
• Salsa verde: This takes about 5 minutes to make, you only need a half quantity of salsa verde for two serves of this meal. But, if you make the full quantity you can use leftovers to drizzle on creamy celery soup, as a sauce on cauliflower pizza crust, drizzled on pan-fried steak, tossed through courgette noodles, or as a salad dressing.
• Green salad: A few handfuls of mixed salad leaves will provide a bed of green goodness for your baked cod.

And that’s it. Fuss-free, deliciousness bursting with fertility-boosting goodness!

Shopping for cod

• Wild cod is best. Steer clear of farmed cod. Why? Wild-caught fish is superior in terms of both flavour and its nutrition profile, resulting in more healthful and delicious baked cod!
• Fresh vs. frozen cod. Unless you’re going to a fish market that has fresh catches of the day (which can be expensive), grab frozen cod instead. Yes, it’s totally okay, and often better than the “fresh” cod you’ll find sitting on ice…which isn’t so fresh. Frozen cod is flash frozen on the ship right after it’s caught to preserve freshness!

How to thaw frozen cod

• If you planned ahead of time, thaw it in the fridge. Ideally, you want to slowly thaw your cod in the fridge overnight. Or about 12 hours before cooking it. Just make sure to keep the fish in it’s wrapping and place it on a plate to catch any liquid.
• If you’re hours away from dinner, thaw it in cold water. Not to worry if thawing it overnight slipped your mind! You can thaw your cod by submerging it in a big bowl of cold water. This should take about an hour or so, depending on its thickness. But be sure to swap for fresh water if it starts to become lukewarm.

How to make baked cod with salsa verde

This amazingly moist and flaky cod with flavour-packed salsa verde is ready in under 30 minutes! To get started, preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and then follow along below.

1. Let the cod come to room temperature. Take the cod loins out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Line a baking tray with plastic-free baking parchment.
2. Make the salsa verde. Place the herbs, capers, garlic, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor and process to a chunky consistency.
3. It’s baking time. Place the cod on the prepared tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle with almost all of the salsa verde, reserving a little to dress the salad, and return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until the cod is cooked through.

That’s it! To serve, pile salad leaves onto plates, drizzle with the remaining salsa verde and top with the baked cod. For the finishing touch, add a lemon wedge.

More fish recipes to try

• Mediterranean cod en papillote
• Dukkah-crusted cod
• Easy baked salmon ratatouille
• Miso salmon
• Spiced salmon tray bake
• Spicy burrito bowl
• Pan-fried sea bass

More quick and easy dinners to try

• Rainbow pad Thai
• Easy chilli chicken
• Courgetti spaghetti bolognese
• Easy weeknight vegan chilli
• Coconut cauliflower curry

I hope you enjoy this baked cod with salsa verde recipe. If you make it, let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below, or post in The Fertility Kitchen Community.