Cashew Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Bright, herbaceous, and genuinely impressive on the plate, this salmon dish delivers a restaurant-quality result with a surprisingly short ingredient list. The pesto here skips the pine nuts and cheese entirely, leaning instead on creamy avocado and fresh basil to build that rich, velvety texture — which also means it's naturally free from tree nuts without any awkward substitutions. A hit of lemon juice and a pinch of ground ginger keep the sauce lively and a little unexpected. The technique is straightforward: a quick stovetop sear locks in color and flavor before the oven finishes the job gently, so the fish stays moist all the way through. Spooning the pesto over the fillets just before roasting lets it meld into the salmon rather than sitting on top like an afterthought. It's the kind of weeknight dinner that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did, and the bright green sauce against the golden seared fish is genuinely beautiful. Serve with lemon wedges and a few extra basil leaves and it's basically ready for its close-up.
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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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