Before you say cauliflower rice is a trope, have you ever had cauliflower cooked alongside rice? Divine. And so easy! And that’s why this Salmon with Pistou with Cauliflower Rice has earned it’s place on the blog. It’s a dinner that pleases everyone, I know this from experience because my husband has more simple tastes compared to my big-bold-I-must-need-so-many-components sensibilities. This meal works for us both: cheesy and easy pistou, buttery and salty cauliflower rice, and tender crispy-skinned salmon. The whole meal takes under 30 minutes and is a healthy, tasty classic that I like having in our repertoire.
Table of contents
So what kind of “cauliflower rice” is this?
This recipe does my favorite thing, which is hide vegetables in a good way. You are getting nutrition and fiber from cauliflower, but it cooks down into your rice, making both the veggie and the carb feel like fluffy, buttery heaven.
My preferred way to do this is by cooking your cauliflower in your rice cooker, but if you don’t have a rice cooker, I have instructions on how you can do this in a pot in the recipe block below.
And yes, I say long grain rice, but really any rice will do! White rice hides the cauliflower best, but brown rice tastes just as good.
The ingredients you will need to make a cutting board pistou
For this Salmon and Pistou recipe, we need to talk about what a pistou is. A pistou is essentially a pine-nut-less pesto, meaning that you can chop it up on your own, use a mortar and pestle, or use a food processor. It’s your choice!
Here’s everything I suggest using if you are going to make a quick pistou:
- 2 cups (2 oz) fresh basil leaves
- 2 ounces parmesan
- 1 large lemon
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
A bit about the salmon cooking technique
For this super-fast salmon dinner, we are starting the salmon in a pan, and then moving the pan to the oven. What this does is make an irresistibly crispy skin, while still keeping the salmon soft, rich and buttery throughout.
If you don’t have a pan that can handle being thrown in the oven, I really recommend you look into one (these are my favorite from Made In). It’s so easy to start something on the stove and finish it in the oven, and a pan that lets you do that is a game-changer!
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Looking for similar recipes?
I LOVE salmon, so I have lots of options on the blog! Here are a few favorites:
Coconut Simmered Salmon
Gochjang Butter Salmon
Basil Tomato Salmon
And that’s it for this Salmon with Pistou and Cauliflower Rice dinner!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions
And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
- 1 medium pot or rice cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 (1 lb) head of cauliflower
- 2 cups (2 oz) fresh basil leaves
- 2 ounces parmesan
- 1 large lemon
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/4 pounds salmon, skin on
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F convection, or 375°F standard.
- Rinse and add 1 cup of rice to a rice cooker or medium pot. Cover with 2 cups of water and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Finely chop the cauliflower into bean-sized pieces. Add this to your rice cooker or pot. If you are using your rice cooker, let cook as normal for white rice. If you are using a pot, bring the water to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the water has fully evaporated.
- While the rice is cooking, make the pistou: Finely chop 2 cups of basil leaves and add them to a medium bowl. Grate in 2 ounces of parmesan, squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) and pour in 1/3 cup of olive oil. Mix and season with 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper. You can also add all the ingredients to a food processor for a quicker mix. Set this aside, it will soften as it sits.
- Next, portion the salmon into 4 pieces. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Put a 12-inch oven-safe sauté pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, then place the salmon pieces in the pan, skin side down. Let them sear for 3-5 minutes, until you see they are turning light pink about 1/4 of the way up the sides. Transfer this pan to the oven so the salmon can finish cooking for 10-11 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at least 135°F.
- By now, the rice should be ready. Give it a fluff with a fork and mix in the remaining tablespoon of salted butter. Taste and season with salt as preferred.
- To serve, portion a large amount of cauliflower rice onto four plates. Add the salmon to each plate, crispy skin facing up. Top with the pistou, mix all together and enjoy!
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