Artificial Flavors Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Fresh basil, creamy avocado, bright lemon juice, and a whisper of ginger — that's all it takes to build a pesto that's genuinely vibrant and completely free of anything artificial. Store-bought pesto sauces are notorious for sneaking in natural and artificial flavor additives, but blending your own in a food processor takes just minutes and puts you fully in control of every ingredient. The avocado gives the sauce a luxuriously silky body without any fillers or flavor enhancers, while the garlic and lemon do the heavy lifting on taste. Searing the salmon first locks in a gorgeous golden crust before the oven finishes the job, so you get that restaurant-quality texture without any shortcuts. Spooning the homemade pesto over the fillets right before roasting lets it meld into the fish as it cooks, creating something deeply savory and satisfying. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a few extra basil leaves, and this dinner looks as impressive as it tastes — no artificial anything required.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ medium avocado, pitted and scooped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For the salmon
- 4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each), skin-on
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- 2
Combine the basil, avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and ground ginger in a food processor or blender. Pulse several times to break everything down, then stream in the 1/4 cup olive oil with the motor running until the pesto is smooth and bright green. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Set aside.
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