This creamy, mostly-vegetables, spicy habanero cashew salmon is everything I want in a dinner right now. It’s low on ingredients but packed with flavor and easy to make even though it looks a little complex. Plus, you can dress it up or dress it down.
The base of this creamy sauce is mostly vegetables, and the habanero gives it a much needed kick, while the cashews provide all the creaminess we know and love.
It’s a classic salmon weeknight dinner that is now one of my go-tos. Plus, you can swap the salmon for tofu and make it fully plant-based! It’s so versatile and delicious on all fronts.
Table of contents
But first, what is a habanero?
Habaneros are one of my favorite types of peppers. They pack a kick (which I love) so feel free to substitute out one or two peppers as you see fit.
The habanero pepper originated in the Amazon, but is now widely grown and produced in Mexico. Unripe versions are green, but they gradually turn red or orange as they mature. Just make sure to remove their seeds in this recipe because those things can BURN.
Ingredients for this habanero cashew salmon recipe
- 1 pound fresh salmon
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 2-3 small habanero peppers, seeded, subtract one if you don’t like spice, add one if you do!
- 1 1-inch knob of fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lime, for juicing
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk, or milk of choice
Optional toppings:
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon chile de arbol oil
How to prepare this habanero cashew sauce
- Chop up the bell pepper, onion and habaneros into big pieces. Make sure to remove all the seeds from the peppers.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, habaneros, garlic and ginger to a blender or food processor. Add in the juice from one whole lime, honey and a pinch of salt.
- Strain out the water the cashews were soaking in, and add the cashews to the blender. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. This will take about 2-4 minutes.
- The mixture should be thin, but not too thin. Add water as needed to thin it out.
How to prepare the salmon for this habanero salmon recipe
This salmon is easy. You want it to crisp on the outside but not fully cook it in the center, as it’ll continue to cook when you add it to the habanero sauce.
Portion the salmon into 4 pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place the pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 450°F for 10-11 minutes, or until the outside of the salmon is golden.
How to bring this habanero cashew salmon recipe together
Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add in the habanero sauce. Let it simmer slightly, cooking off the flavor of the raw onion and garlic. Stir occasionally and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Add the plant-based milk to the habanero sauce and continue to stir. When the sauce is very creamy, reduce the heat to low.
Remove the salmon from the oven and place the fillets directly in the skillet. Let them continue to cook for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
Top the salmon with coconut milk, cilantro, scallions and chili oil if you’d like, and serve family style with rice or grains.
Looking for other easy dinners?
Here are a few other ideas from the blog:
Kale Tahini Pasta
Gochujang Sweet Potato Soup
Basil Oil Beans
And that’s it for this habanero cashew salmon recipe!
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.
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
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 pound fresh salmon
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 2-3 small habanero peppers, seeded, subtract one if you don't like spice, add one if you do!
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1-inch knob of fresh ginger
- 1 lime, for juicing
- 2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup if you are plant-based
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk, or milk of choice
Optional toppings:
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon chile de arbol oil
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add 1/2 cup cashews and pour over 2 cups of boiling water. Let this sit while you prepare all the other ingredients.
- Set the oven to 450°F.
- Portion 1 pound of salmon into 4 fillets, season with salt and pepper and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set them aside.
- Chop up the red bell pepper, half the yellow onion and 2-3 habaneros into big pieces. Make sure to remove all the seeds from the peppers.
- Add the chopped bell pepper, onion, habaneros, 3 garlic cloves and 1-inch knob of fresh ginger to a blender. Add in the juice from one whole lime, 2 tablespoons of honey and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Strain out the water the cashews were soaking in, and add the cashews to the blender. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. This will take about 2-4 minutes. The mixture should be thin, but not too thin. Add water as needed to thin it out.
- Place the salmon in the oven and roast for 11 minutes. You want the salmon golden on top but still rare in the middle.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add in the habanero sauce. Let it simmer slightly, for about 4-5 minutes, cooking off the flavor of the raw onion and garlic.
- Add in 1/2 cup plant-based milk and continue to stir. When the sauce is very creamy, reduce the heat to low.
- Remove the salmon from the oven and place the fillets directly into the skillet. Let them continue to cook in the heat of the pan for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Top the salmon with coconut milk, cilantro, scallions and chili oil if you'd like, and serve family style with rice or grains.
Comments
This feels like maybe a potentially silly question but would this go well with cod instead of salmon? Or in the alternative, what other fish do you think works well with this sauce?
Not silly at all! I love the idea of cod with this, although instead of baking it, I’d recommend poaching it in the sauce since it’s a more tender fish 🙂 other fish options I like are swordfish, tilapia and scallops!
Thanks for the quick reply!
I’m going to try this with chicken tomorrow. Would love to do it with fish but my hubs won’t eat any fish. But the sauce sounds amazing. But I’m definitely going to make the salmon version for my parents. I love your TikTok’s. thanks for sharing a passion for food with me that many don’t understand.
How would you recommend preparing the tofu for this if substituting it in for the salmon?
I like the method of pressing it and pan searing it (I have a full tutorial on my YouTube), but you can also cut it into sliced and bake at 425F for around 20 minutes or until slightly golden 🙂
Thank you!! I made the salmon for myself and the tofu (pan seared) for a vegetarian friend and it was absolutely delicious!! Used the rest of the habanero cashew sauce the next day on some pasta. Thanks again for the recipe 🙂
I made this with firm tofu and cooked it into the sauce and, although I’ve never used habaneros in cooking before, I loved it! I wish I had some fresh herbs because that would’ve really made it. Only thing I will say is that I was expecting spicy… but not this spicy!
It definitely packs some heat! If you have any leftovers you can add more honey and milk to hopefully dilute it a bit!
My family can’t handle the extreme spicy food. What is the good replacement for habanero pepper. We like such kick though.
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