Salt + Soil delivers seed-oil-free meals across coastal San Diego every Tuesday. Every dish is cooked in extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil, and never seed oils. The Moroccan Spiced Cod is one of the kitchen's seed-oil-free dinners, built around a warm Moroccan spice rub bloomed in EVOO, saffron cauliflower rice finished the same way, and a creamy cashew harissa lemon sauce with no oil in it at all.

This is a dish built around the rub first. Cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, ground ginger, sea salt, and black pepper, worked into wild-caught cod with a spoonful of extra-virgin olive oil before it ever sees the oven. That's the part people skip when they're in a hurry, rubbing spices into dry fish and hoping for the best, and it's the part that actually makes the dish. Fat carries flavor. A water-based marinade sits on the surface. Oil moves the spices into the fish and holds them there while it bakes. As Dr. Hyman has said on The Dr. Hyman Show, extra-virgin olive oil is one of the fats worth building a kitchen around, and it's the only fat in this dish, in the rub and in the rice both.

For the vegan version, tempeh takes the place of the cod, sliced into half-inch slabs, tossed in the same spice rub and olive oil, and baked hotter and longer until the edges go golden and crisp. Same saffron cauliflower rice, same chickpeas, same cashew harissa lemon sauce underneath it. Nobody at the table gets a different meal because of what they eat.

Ingredients

Moroccan Spiced Cod

• 4.5 oz wild-caught cod
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

(For the vegan version, swap in tempeh, sliced into half-inch slabs, tossed in the same spice rub and olive oil.)

Saffron Cauliflower Rice

• 7 oz cauliflower, riced
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 oz chickpeas

Cashew Harissa Lemon Sauce

• 1 tbsp raw cashews, soaked
• 3 tbsp filtered water
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• Pinch of lemon zest
• Pinch of harissa paste

To finish

• 1/4 cup quick-pickled red onion
• 1 tbsp toasted almond crumble
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 1 lemon wedge

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the cod dry, rub with olive oil and the spice blend, and bake on a parchment-lined sheet, checking at 12 minutes, until it flakes easily and reaches 145°F internal. (For the vegan version, bake the tempeh at 400°F for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges.)
2. Pulse the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces. Cook in a hot pan with olive oil and sea salt for 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender, then stir in the saffron threads until the rice turns pale gold. Fold in the chickpeas.
3. Soak the cashews until soft, then blend with the water, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, lemon zest, and harissa paste until smooth and pourable.
4. Plate the saffron cauliflower rice, top with the cod (or tempeh) and chickpeas, add the pickled red onion, almond crumble, and cilantro. Serve the sauce on the side with a lemon wedge.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the only fat in this dish, in the cod rub and in the cauliflower rice both. That's not an accident and it's not a trend we're chasing. We built our kitchen on that standard before it had a hashtag attached to it. Seed-oil-free has been the floor here since day one, not a claim we added once people started asking. Browse what's on this week's menu. If you're not in love with your first week, we'll make it right. If we can't leave you 100% satisfied, we'll offer a full refund.

FAQ

Where can I find seed oil free meals in San Diego?
Salt + Soil delivers seed-oil-free meals across coastal San Diego every Tuesday. Every dish is cooked in extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil, and never seed oils.

What makes a meal "seed-oil-free"?
A seed-oil-free meal avoids industrially processed oils like canola, soybean, and vegetable oil, cooking instead with extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.

Is the Moroccan Spiced Cod available with a vegan protein?
Yes. The vegan version swaps in tempeh, baked hot and crisp, in place of the cod, keeping the same spice rub, saffron cauliflower rice, and cashew harissa lemon sauce.

Does Salt + Soil deliver outside San Diego?
Salt + Soil currently delivers fresh, seed-oil-free meals every Tuesday across coastal San Diego only.