Artificial Food Coloring Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Store-bought pesto and seasoning blends are notorious for sneaking in synthetic dyes and artificial additives, which makes a dish like this such a relief to cook from scratch. Every component here is completely whole-food and natural — fresh basil, ripe avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil come together in a blender to create a vivid, creamy pesto that gets its gorgeous green color entirely from real ingredients. The salmon itself is seasoned with nothing but sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil before hitting a hot skillet, so there's zero guesswork about what's actually on your plate. Searing the fillets first locks in a beautiful golden crust, and then a generous spoonful of that bright pesto melts right into the fish as it finishes roasting in the oven. The avocado gives the pesto a silky, almost buttery body that clings to the salmon in the best possible way, while the lemon juice and ginger keep things fresh and lively. It's an impressive, restaurant-worthy dinner that comes together with a short ingredient list you can feel completely confident about.
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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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