Creamy Tuscan Salmon: Say hello to this creamy, comforting dish, made dairy-free and gluten-free. I love a classic cream sauce but I wanted to make something a lot lighter and this one hits the nail on the head. This Tuscan salmon recipe is made with fresh salmon fillets, a dairy-free cream sauce, and packed with fresh vegetables.
creamy tuscan salmon ingredient list:
Fresh Salmon Fillets: I find that fresh salmon fillets cook up a lot better than frozen, especially for this recipe. Fresh salmon gets a really nice sear on the stove and has a great texture. Although, I understand frozen salmon is much more accessible, so if you choose to use frozen, just thaw beforehand and blot access water with paper towels.
Coconut Milk: This recipe calls for canned coconut milk as a dairy-free alternative to heavy cream. If you can’t have coconut, cashew cream may work as well. And as always, I promise you can’t taste the coconut at all!
Vegetable Broth: The broth pulls together all the flavors here. You can also use chicken broth, bone broth, or whatever broth you prefer.
Tomatoes: A key part in making Tuscan sauce, let these little tomatoes burst and they add a delicious flavor element!
Garlic and Onions: For flavors and aromatics.
Fresh Spinach and Basil: For flavor and added nutrients!
Tapioca Starch: A thickening agent that replaces cornstarch (a W30 & paleo option).
optional substitutions:
- If you aren’t a fan of salmon, or you’re looking for something more accessible, you can always use grilled chicken instead! You can sear it on the stove, grill it, or even add pre-cooked chicken to the sauce. Trust me, this sauce is so delicious you won’t want to miss it!
- I get a lot of questions about coconut milk in savory recipes. I use coconut milk to replace heavy cream in a lot of creamy sauce recipes. It’s affordable and canned coconut milk is always something I keep in the pantry. I promise with all the flavor combinations, you don’t taste the coconut taste at all. But, if you want to try something else, cashew cream will work as well (blending cashews in water).
Creamy Tuscan Salmon Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet Pan
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 fresh salmon fillets season with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika.
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup vegetable broth or bone broth of choice
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk canned
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch or tapioca or cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
- drizzle of olive oil for cooking
Instructions
Sear the Salmon:
- Season your salmon fillets with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika until each piece is coated.
- Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet (or another equivalent pan) to medium heat. Once sizzling, add your salmon fillets skin side up for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 3 more minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside
For the Sauce:
- In that same pan, add the onion and tomatoes and cook until softened. Then, add the minced garlic. Scrape all the brown bits off the pan for extra flavor.
- Once the garlic is aromatic, add in the broth, coconut milk, and all seasonings.
- While simmering, add arrowroot starch (or tapioca or cornstarch) to a small ramekin with equal parts water. Quickly mix to avoid clumping to make a slurry for the sauce.
- Add the slurry into the sauce. From here it should begin to thicken and the flavors should begin to incorporate. Add in the chopped spinach and basil.
- Lastly, nestle in the salmon filets to the sauce cook for a few more minutes or until salmon is cooked internally to your liking. Enjoy!
Really good!
Thanks for sharing, Michelle! 🙂
I just made this and it’s absolutely delicious and restaurant quality for sure!! First time using coconut milk instead of heavy cream and I will be doing that from now on since it’s dairy- free!
SO glad you enjoyed! Using coconut milk is one of my favorite tricks, so delish! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made this recipe for my partner last week and we LOVED it. Tonight I’m making it again as the main course for a dinner party we are hosting – it was that good. Thanks for sharing Lexi!
Thanks SO much for sharing, Kayla! Makes my day that you enjoyed it!!
This is the best!!! I will make it again exactly the same and I’ve already shared the recipe with everyone I know. Thank you!
Could I make this the day before a party and reheat. If so how would I do that and what is the risk?