Spring Hath Sprung
I can’t lie, spring and summer are my favorite seasons. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the produce is thriving! I love utilizing the seasonal fruits and vegetables as inspiration for recipes. The spring and summer produce are definitely more versatile for creating bright and fresh dishes to contrast the warm weather. This Blackened Salmon with Tomato Relish is a great example of what I would call a “perfect summer meal.” We have pan-seared salmon filets, coated in a blackened seasoning, served with a creamy avocado cilantro sauce, and topped with a tomato relish. This dish is so flavorful yet light, but it will definitely leave you feeling fulfilled. With this combination of fresh ingredients, it’s bound to make you feel nourished instead of sluggish.
One Bowl Wonders
While there’s three different components to the dish, don’t be intimidated! Each component is easy to make and can be prepared in a single bowl. Starting with the tomato relish, this is what’s going to brighten up the dish and cut through the fat of the salmon and the creaminess of the avocado sauce. When it comes to seafood, I think it’s always best to have an acidic, fresh component to cancel out any “fishy” taste. This relish has a combination of tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeño. Mix it together with red wine vinegar and sugar then let it pickle. The combination of red wine vinegar and sugar helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the veggies and add an acidic bite. I love this tomato relish because not only does it add a refreshing component, but it also adds a pop of color!
Moving onto the creamy avocado sauce, add avocado, Greek yogurt, mayo, shallot, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth. My favorite types of sauces are the ones where you can add everything into a food processor and it’s done. You get a flavorful sauce with only a little bit of work! This sauce adds a nice contrast to the tangy relish while also complimenting the flavors of the ingredients.
Spice Up Your Salmon
Lastly, let’s get to work on the salmon! To make the blackened seasoning, combine paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. If you like mildly-spiced food, use a quarter teaspoon of cayenne; but if you’re a spicy food lover, you can bump it up to a half teaspoon. Coat the salmon filets with oil then sprinkle the seasoning all over. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add in some oil and then the salmon filets. Cook them for 4-6 minutes on each side until the salmon is fully cooked. In the last few minutes of cooking, I like to cover the pan with a lid to ensure the inside cooks.
Nourished Not Sluggish
When you’re ready to plate, you can be as fancy or casual as you would like. I wanted to elevate the presentation of the dish, so I added a circular schmear of the creamy avocado sauce to my plate. Then I placed the salmon on top so that the sauce served as a bed of flavor. Finally, I topped the salmon with the tomato relish and additional cilantro leaves for garnish.
This dish may look and taste fancy, but little does everyone know, it came together so easily. This Blackened Salmon with Tomato Relish genuinely blew me away. It has the perfect balance of flavors and textures. This is a healthy meal, but I can assure you it will not leave you longing for something more. The best feeling is when you eat a meal and actually feel energized instead of sluggish, and that is exactly what you get with this dish! Break out this recipe for the warm-weather days ahead, and I swear it going to become a staple. Let me know if you try it out in the comments below and I’ll catch you in my next post!
Blackened Salmon With Tomato Relish
Ingredients
For the Tomato Relish
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper (¼ inch dice)
- 1 Roma Tomato (pulp and seeds removed and ¼ inch dice)
- ¼ Red Onion (finely diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (deseeded and finely diced)
- 1½ Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
- ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
For the Creamy Avocado Sauce
- ½ Avocado
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup Mayo
- ½ Shallot (roughly chopped)
- 1 Garlic Clove (roughly chopped)
- ⅓ cup Cilantro Leaves
- Juice from ½ a Lime
- ¼ tsp. Ground Cumin
- ¼ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
For the Blackened Salmon
- 1 Tbsp. Paprika
- ¼-½ tsp. Cayenne Powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
- 1½ tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Dried Thyme
- ¼ tsp. Fennel Seeds (gently crushed)
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- ¾ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 4 (6 oz.) Salmon Filets
- 3½ Tbsp. Olive Oil
Instructions
For the Tomato Relish:
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until every thing is well incorporated. Let the relish sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the vegetables to pickle.
For the Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth and the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
For the Blackened Salmon:
- In a small bowl, add in the paprika, cayenne powder, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, fennel seeds, kosher salt, and pepper. Mix until the spices are evenly distributed.
- Pour 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil over the salmon filets. Rub the oil all over the filets. Season each side of the salmon filets with about 1 teaspoon of the blackened seasoning, ensuring that each filet is well coated in the spices.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the salmon filets to the pan and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until fully cooked through. Remove the cooked salmon from the pan and serve with the tomato relish and creamy avocado sauce. Enjoy!
