This Creamy Spinach Tuscan Salmon recipe is so flavorful and savory – a perfect dish for a dinner party or a night in. With garlic, tomatoes, and loads of spices, this comforting dish is sure to impress!
Salmon is the protein I cook with the most. I have made countless salmon recipes, such as my blackened baked salmon bites and chili crisp honey salmon. I actually came up with this particular recipe upon my mom’s request. She wasn’t feeling well and was craving this, so I obliged! It turned out wonderfully and the whole family agreed.
This Creamy Spinach Tuscan Salmon recipe is sure to impress. If you’re looking for a great recipe for a dinner party, date night, or holiday, this is it! You have a rich, savory sauce with onions garlic, burst tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and loads of spices. The flakey salmon finishes cooking in the sauce and becomes oh-so-wonderful! If you like the flavor profile in this recipe, you will surely love my cheesy tuscan chicken dip too!
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What is Tuscan Salmon?
Tuscan salmon typically refers to a style of preparing and seasoning salmon inspired by Tuscan cuisine, which is known for its emphasis on simple, fresh, and high-quality ingredients.
Tuscan salmon typically has a creamy base infused with garlic and onion. The sauce also contains tomatos and spinach, along with spices such as paprika and Italian seasoning. In this recipe, we sear the salmon first, then remove from the pan in order to make the sauce. The salmon finishes cooking in the sauce, leaving a luscious dish both pleasing in looks and flavors.
Ingredients
There are plenty of variations to this recipe which are outlined next. The following are the baseline, easy-to-find ingredients:
- Salmon – I use fillets here.
- Seasonings – and lots of them. I like garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, paprika, Italian seasonings, and cayenne.
- Half and half – The heart of the creamy base. Heavy cream would work perfectly too.
- Fresh tomatoes – Simmered and bursting of juices to add to the sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Adding some extra depth and flavor
- Spinach – A great recipe to use the wilted spinach you may not want in a salad
- Garlic and onion – You can’t have a flavored dish without it. Garlic goes so well with creamy salmon!
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
There are endless variations to this recipe! Here are just a few ideas.
- Spicy – add more cayenne for more spice!
- Protein – While this recipe calls for salmon, it would taste excellent with chicken, tofu, or even another mild fish.
- Vegetables – the options are endless with veggies you can add! If I had to choose, I would suggest mushrooms, artichokes, or roasted red peppers in no particular order.
- Leafy greens – Feel free to use another leafy green such as kale. I recommend cutting the kale leaves smaller as they take longer to cook than spinach.
- Cream – In this recipe I use half and half. The result tastes creamy! I find salmon fillets to be rich already, so half and half works for me. Coconut cream should work too for a dairy free option.
If you make this recipe with a variation, be sure to comment below with your results!
Instructions
This creamy garlic spinach salmon uses just one pan and little effort!
Add spices to the salmon fillets, then sear on medium heat.
Sear both sides until 3-4 minutes, until no orange is visible but not yet fully cooked.
Remove salmon. Add the onions and let sautéed until translucent. Then, add tomatoes and garlic.
Allow tomatoes to burst and break down, about 10 minutes. Add the half and half and spices, then stir.
Add spinach to the sauce and mix.
When spinach has wilted, add the salmon back in to finish cooking.
How to serve Creamy Spinach Tuscan Salmon
This creamy spinach Tuscan salmon is a balanced meal on its own.
If you want to serve this recipe alongside another dish, I would suggest to serve:
- Over pasta or gnocchi
- Atop a bed of vegetables, more sautéed spinach, or garlic cauliflower rice
- Alongside zucchini or asparagus
- On top of rice or other grain
Can I prepare this Creamy Spinach Tuscan Salmon in advance?
Yes! You can absolutely prepare this recipe in advance. For best results, I would cook the salmon the day-of serving (if you can!) and prep the sauce days in advance.
If you want to prepare the whole dish in advance, that’s no problem! Heat the creamy spinach tuscan salmon in a skillet for best results, or in the microwave. I would not bake this dish to reheat.
Storage
Store the creamy spinach tuscan salmon in the refrigerator for up to four days.
FAQ
Yes. Although, while this recipe can be frozen and reheated, salmon does not retain its quality once cooked and frozen like other meals.
Absolutely! You can use any other mild fish, such as mahi mahi, snapper, halibut, tilapia, or even shrimp! This recipe is commonly served with chicken instead of fish, as another option
I like to cut the salmon into fillets. You can also buy the filets pre-cut.
Looking for a dessert?
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Spinach Tuscan Salmon
Ingredients
Salmon
- 3 filets salmon (totaling 1 – 1.5 lb)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Tuscan Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes can substitute with cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup half and half can substitute heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes optional
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne optional
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
Instructions
- Season the salmon filets with the garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and salt. Bring a saute pan or skillet up to medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the salmon for 3-4 minutes on each side until the fish has turned light pink on all sides. Do not overcook here – the salmon is meant to be undercooked and raw in the very middle still. Remove from pan.
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onions. Sautee on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Add the grape tomatoes and garlic and stir. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will burst and break down. Option to press down using the back of a spatula to encourage the bursting.
- Once the tomatoes have all broken down, add the half and half, sun-dried tomatoes (if using), paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and cayenne if using. Stir to combine. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
- Add the salmon back into the pan with the creamy spinach tuscan sauce and allow to simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Pour some of the sauce on the top of the salmon as well.
- Serve as is, over a bed of pasta, or alongside your vegetables of choice. Enjoy
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