4.6 from 15 votes
Seared Salmon with Toasted Almond Pesto
Seared salmon with a golden crust, topped with creamy dairy-free basil toasted almond pesto made with Meyer lemon juice. Kosher for Passover.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings:
4
servings
Calories:
509 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almonds thinly sliced, divided
- 4 salmon fillets boneless skinless
- 2 cups basil leaves stems removed, tightly packed
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread out the sliced almonds in a small skillet in an even layer. Heat the almonds over medium, stirring frequently, till they became lightly toasted and aromatic. This will take a few minutes. Careful, they can go from toasted to burned very quickly. As soon as they are ready, pour them out of the skillet and into a cool bowl to stop browning. Reserve.
- Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over high heat till hot and just shy of smoking. Add the fillets to the skillet, top side down. Sear them on one side on high heat for 2-3 minutes till a golden brown crust forms on the meat.Without flipping the salmon, transfer the skillet to the oven and let it cook for 5-10 more minutes to desired doneness. Thicker fillets may take longer.
- While salmon is cooking, make almond pesto. Take 1/4 cup of the toasted almonds (reserve the rest) and pulse them in the processor till they are finely ground.
- Add the basil leaves and process till they're finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the processor. Add the Meyer lemon juice, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste-- I usually use about 1/2 tsp salt total in the pesto). Process again till all ingredients are chopped fine and well mixed.
- Scrape the sides of the processor. Secure the lid and open the pouring spout. Turn the processor on and drizzle the olive oil in very slowly through the pouring spout. It should take 2-3 minutes to drizzle in all of the oil. As the oil emulsifies with the other ingredients, a creamy pesto will form.
- Once the oil has been incorporated, scrape the sides and process for a few more seconds till the pesto mixture is smooth and creamy. Season the pesto with more salt to taste, if desired. Reserve.Remove the seared salmon from the oven. Use an oven mitt, that skillet handle will be hot!
- For each portion of salmon, spread 1 tbsp pesto in a circle on the plate. Place seared salmon fillet on top, crust side up. Top salmon fillet with another dollop of pesto and 1 tbsp toasted sliced almonds. Serve.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- You will also need: Food processor, small skillet, large oven-safe nonstick skillet
Nutrition Information
Calories
509kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
3g
(1%)
Protein
37g
(74%)
Fat
38g
(58%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
93mg
(31%)
Sodium
75mg
(3%)
Potassium
963mg
(20%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Vitamin A
700IU
(14%)
Vitamin C
5mg
(6%)
Calcium
77mg
(8%)
Iron
2.4mg
(13%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 509
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 509kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 3g | 1% |
| Protein | 37g | 74% |
| Fat | 38g | 58% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 93mg | 31% |
| Sodium | 75mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 963mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 700IU | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2.4mg | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.