Pork Free Basil-Pesto Salmon Fillets
Bright, herbaceous, and genuinely impressive on the plate, this salmon dish is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like a restaurant splurge without any of the effort. The star is a creamy avocado-basil pesto blended with garlic, lemon juice, and a subtle hit of ground ginger — it's vivid green, silky, and packed with flavor in a way that store-bought pesto simply can't match. Every ingredient here is naturally free of pork and pork derivatives, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress involved. The technique is straightforward: a quick stovetop sear locks in a golden crust before the oven finishes the fillets gently and evenly, keeping the flesh tender and flaky all the way through. Spooning that lush pesto over the salmon just before roasting lets it melt into every crevice, infusing the fish with herby, citrusy richness. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the table ties everything together and makes the whole dish pop. Whether you're cooking for a crowd or just treating yourself, this one is absolutely worth adding to the regular rotation.
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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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