Pan seared salmon, drizzled with a creamy pesto sauce and served with a side of oven-crisped broccoli is my idea of the ideal meal. Dreamy dinner heaven. 30-minute perfection. ♥
I want to tell you that my favourite part of this pan seared salmon dinner is *** but I just can't. There's no way I can choose.
You see, there's the (dairy-free!) sunflower dill pesto that gets all of its creamy deliciousness from toasted sunflower seeds, and a little touch of mayo. It's big on flavour and full of good for you stuff like seeds and herbs and lemon. There's no need not to go all sauce crazy with this one.
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Then there's the salmon. It's pan seared to crisp the skin then finished for a few minutes in the oven at a low temp, so it stays very tender. As always, the only trick here is to not overcook it.
Aaaannd the broccoli. OMGoodness the broccoli. It's very similar to the Roasted Broccolini recipe I shared with you guys a while back, only it's much simpler. And it's broccoli, not broccolini, obvs. What happens when you broil it for a few minutes on high heat is the florets get all crispy and get this deliciously nutty thing going on. Once you make it this way you might never be able to eat broccoli any other way again.
Did I also mention that you can be sitting down to eat this feast in just 30 minutes? What are you waiting for?
So if the big trick to cooking pan seared salmon, or any fish, is not to overcook it, then how do you know when it's done? I'm glad you asked. (I'm also glad you put up with me pretending that you asked. You guys are awesome.)
The 100% most reliable way is to get yourself a handy little gadget called an instant read thermometer. Fish is cooked through when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Once it gets over this temperature it will start to dry out and become something that no one wants to eat. If you don't have an instant-read thermometer please promise me you'll get one asap. Pretty please.
While you're waiting for your instant read thermometer to arrive in the mail there are a few tricks you can use to make sure you don't overcook your salmon. When the salmon is cooked through you'll see that it changes to a lighter colour. Depending on the type of salmon you bought that could mean anything from dark pink to creamy pink.
If you see any white foamy looking stuff on your salmon, it's time to stop cooking it. The white stuff is protein that has been pushed out of the salmon and is coagulating on the surface. A small amount will sometimes be seen on even perfectly cooked salmon, but overcooked salmon will have a lot of it.
The last thing you can do to test if your salmon is done is to take a fork and see if the flesh flakes away easily. If it is undercooked the flesh will hold together firm and if it is overcooked the flesh will be tough and pull apart in chunks. Perfectly cooked pan seared salmon will flake easily and look like it does in the pictures.
If you make this pan seared salmon make sure to snap a pic and tag @theendlessmeal on Instagram so I can like and comment on your pictures!
- ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- ¼ tablespoons fresh dill
- ¼ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, from ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion (about 1 stem)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 head of broccoli, sliced into small florets - keep as much as the stem intact as possible
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 salmon fillets
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Sunflower seeds and dill, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to broil with a rack at the very top. If you know your oven broils very hot, as some do, lower the rack one notch. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the sunflower seeds, basil leaves, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, green onion and garlic in a small blender. ( A Magic Bullet works great.) Blend until everything is smooth and creamy. Pour the pesto into a small bowl and stir though the mayo. Season to taste with sea salt. If you'd like, you can think the pesto with a little water to make it more drizzle-able.
- Lay the broccoli on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle over the sea salt and put it in your oven on the top rack. Let it roast for 10 minutes, or until it is dark and crispy. It will smell like it is burning a little, this is ok!
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the skin of the salmon fillets with a little pinch of salt and pepper and put them in the pan, skin side down. Let them sear for 3 minutes, or until the skin has begun to get crispy.
- Lower the heat in the oven to 320. Open the door and let the oven cool down for about 1 minute. Put the fish in the oven and let it finish by slowly baking, for about five more minutes. You want the salmon to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees. It will flake easily and still look very moist when it is done.
- Serve the salmon with the pesto over the top and the broccoli on the side. Sprinkle on a few sunflower seeds and dill sprigs, if you'd like.
Kristen Stevens
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Hi, I’m Kristen! 
This recipe looks very promising! Can’t wait to make it at home, thanks so much for sharing! I love dill, and pesto too!
Thank you so much!
The salmon looks so perfectly done.Thanks for the tips on cooking salmon properly.
You’re so welcome, Uneku! Hope you like it as much as I do!!
Thanks for providing me with a new way to prepare my favourite fish!
The best thing about this recipe is the use of Basil, because I started growing my own Basil a couple of months ago and that plant is now laden with fresh pickings. Great recipe!
I’m so jealous you have fresh basil in your garden! I planted a bunch a few years ago when I had a rooftop deck and loved going up to pick it fresh. The next place I live is going to have room for a garden! 🙂
Enjoy the salmon and pesto!
First word that comes to mind – STUNNING! Kristen, this is a truly gorgeous dish! I’m a big fan of salmon and I think the best way to serve it is with lots of greens – they compliment so well in flavor, texture, and color! The sunflower dill pesto sounds incredible! I’m SO making this!
Thank you so much, Kathleen! You just put a big smile on my face. 🙂
Oh my gosh, this is my actual dream meal! I love salmon and have had a craving for it lately and anything pesto is a-ok with me. SO making! x
Thanks, Bec! Totally with you on the pesto. I could put pesto on just about anything!
This is the kind of meal I need to eat more often. Not only is it nutritious, it is delicious. And the pesto sounds amazing!
Thank you so much, Thao! It really was tasty. 🙂
What a gorgeous looking meal and I’m sure it tastes even better than it looks. Wonderful.
Thanks, Maureen! I could eat simple dinners like this every night. 🙂
Wow, everything about this meal looks amazing! I need to add it to my dinner menu soon!
Thanks so much, Ashley! It really was yummy. 🙂
I love everything about this meal – that sunflower dill pesto is so beautiful. What a nice way to dress up the salmon.
Thanks, Jeanette! The pesto was my fav part. 🙂
This salmon is absolutely perect. I adore the creamy sauce as well!
Thanks, Jocelyn! I always think everything is better with a little sauce over top. 🙂
I’m smitten with this salmon! You’ve cooked it perfectly!
Me too! We get so much of it here on the west coast that you’d think I’d get sick of it, but that never seems to happen. 🙂