Cod salad with basil-walnut pesto is so easy to make and a quick and delicious dinner that can be prepared any night of the week. This healthy recipe is all-things low-carb, low-FODMAP, paleo, keto, and Whole30.
As we all know, I’m a major salmon lover. Just check out my extensive salmon archives!
In spite of the fact that I can put my Teriyaki Salmon Bowls, Mediterranean Salmon, and Pesto Salmon in Parchment Paper on repeat over and over, I’ve made it my mission to branch out to the other fishies.
Enter: Cod.
It’s no salmon, but it’ll do 😉
What I love about cod is it absorbs flavor of marinades really well, as it has a subtle, buttery flavor. For this recipe, I whipped up an easy coconut milk-based marinade using full-fat canned coconut milk, fresh basil, ginger, and lemongrass.
The result is magnificent! If you have your own favorite marinade, you can always whip that up instead, or just drizzle the fish with some avocado oil and lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and call it bueno.
Serving the cod salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado, and roasted pumpkin seeds, along with a homemade basil-walnut pesto as the dressing takes this fishuation (<- get it? fish…situation…buhdumching…??) up another 17k notches.
So let’s do it already!
How to Bake Cod:
Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients in a small blender and blend until combined. Place fish in a sealable container or bag with the marinade and allow it to marinate at least 15 minutes, up to 8 hours.
When you’re ready to bake the cod, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the fish, along with the marinade, to a casserole dish. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until fish is completely white in the center and cooked through.
Serve cod salad with basil-walnut pesto!
How to Make Basil-Walnut Pesto:
Roast the walnuts at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes, just until golden-brown. Allow walnuts to cool completely then transfer them to a food processor. Add the basil, lemon juice and sea salt and pulse until chopped. Leave the food processor on and stream the oil through the opening in the top. Use the amount of oil you like for your desired consistency.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add 1 to 2 cloves of garlic to the pesto if you tolerate it.
- Add ½ to 1 cup of grated parmesan to the pesto if you tolerate it.
- Replace the walnuts with almonds, pecans, or pine nuts
- Use any of your favorite fish for this recipe
- Change up the salad to your heart’s delight!
- Replace the marinade for the cod with your favorite homemade or store-bought marinade or dry rub.
Enjoy!
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Cod Salad with Basil-Walnut Pesto
Ingredients
For the Cod:
- 1 pound Atlantic Cod cut into 4 fillets
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 cup fresh basil packed
- 1/2- inch nub fresh ginger peeled
- 1 Tbsp lemongrass paste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Basil-Walnut Pesto
- 1 cup raw walnuts roasted
- 2 cups fresh basil packed
- 1/2 to 1 cup avocado oil to desired consistency
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
For the Salad:
- 5 to 10 ounces Spring greens
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 to 2 avocados peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds roasted
Instructions
Prepare the Cod:
- Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients in a small blender and blend until combined. Place fish in a sealable container or bag with the marinade and allow it to marinate at least 15 minutes, up to 8 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake the cod, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the fish, along with the marinade, to a casserole dish. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until fish is completely white in the center and cooked through.
Make Basil-Walnut Pesto:
- Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes, just until golden-brown. Allow walnuts to cool completely then transfer them to a food processor. Add the basil, lemon juice and sea salt and pulse until chopped. Leave the food processor on and stream the oil through the opening in the top. Use the amount of oil you like for your desired consistency.
Make the Salad
- Add desired amount of greens to a large serving bowl. Toss in desired amount of pesto sauce and use two wooden spoons or salad tossers to toss together until greens are well-coated in pesto sauce.
- Toss in the cherry tomatoes, avocado, and pumpkin seeds.
- Serve cod with heaping platefuls of salad with additional pesto on top!
I love cod fillets, but had never thought to add them to a salad. What a nice summery recipe!
Yeees, it’s so tasty! I often forget there are other fish besides salmon, but I’ve been loving cod lately 😀