Coconut Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Rich, flaky salmon topped with a vivid green pesto that comes together in minutes — this is the kind of weeknight dinner that looks like you tried way harder than you did. The pesto skips pine nuts and dairy entirely, leaning on creamy avocado, fresh basil, garlic, and bright lemon juice to build a sauce that's silky, herbaceous, and completely free of any coconut-derived ingredients. A quick sear in the skillet locks in a golden crust before the oven finishes the job, giving you perfectly cooked fish without any guesswork. The ground ginger in the pesto is a subtle but smart move — it adds just enough warmth to make the whole dish feel a little more interesting than your average salmon night. Spooning the pesto directly onto the fillets before roasting means every bite is packed with flavor rather than just sauced at the end. Serve it with lemon wedges and a few extra basil leaves and it's genuinely beautiful on the plate.
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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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