Seared Salmon & Chestnut-Butter Sauce with Carrots, Spinach & Rice

Seared Salmon & Chestnut-Butter Sauce

with Carrots, Spinach & Rice

50 MIN
4 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
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Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
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From the Test Kitchen

Chestnuts, with their subtle sweetness, are a true cool-weather treat. We’re using them here to make a simple, delicious pan sauce, along with butter and tangy verjus blanc (the juice of young white wine grapes). It’s a wonderful accompaniment to our crispy-skinned salmon and hearty bed of rice tossed with sautéed carrots, spinach and a touch of sour cream for richness.

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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    610 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
time-saving
tips & techniques
Cook the rice:
1 Cook the rice:

In a medium pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

Prepare the ingredients:
2 Prepare the ingredients:

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; thinly slice on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Roughly chop the chestnuts.

Cook & drain the spinach:
3 Cook & drain the spinach:

While the rice continues to cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cooked spinach to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the carrots & finish the rice:
4 Cook the carrots & finish the rice:

In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the white bottoms of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer the cooked carrots and chopped spinach to the pot of cooked rice. Stir in the sour cream; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the salmon:
5 Cook the salmon:

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin sides down. Cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is crispy. Flip and add the butter. Cook, occasionally spooning the butter over the fillets, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is lightly browned and the salmon is cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving the butter in the pan, transfer the cooked fillets to a paper towel-lined plate.

Make the sauce & plate your dish:
6 Make the sauce & plate your dish:

Add the chestnuts and verjus to the pan of reserved butter. Cook on medium-high, occasionally stirring and swirling the pan, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished rice between 4 dishes. Top with the cooked salmon fillets and sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Cook the rice:
1 Cook the rice:

In a medium pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 1½ cups of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.

2 Prepare the ingredients:

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; thinly slice on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Roughly chop the chestnuts.

Cook & drain the spinach:
3 Cook & drain the spinach:

While the rice continues to cook, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer to a strainer; hold or rest over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cooked spinach to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop. Wipe out the pan.

4 Cook the carrots & finish the rice:

In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the white bottoms of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer the cooked carrots and chopped spinach to the pot of cooked rice. Stir in the sour cream; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the carrots & finish the rice:
Cook the salmon:
5 Cook the salmon:

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned fillets, skin sides down. Cook 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, or until the skin is crispy. Flip and add the butter. Cook, occasionally spooning the butter over the fillets, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is lightly browned and the salmon is cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving the butter in the pan, transfer the cooked fillets to a paper towel-lined plate.

6 Make the sauce & plate your dish:

Add the chestnuts and verjus to the pan of reserved butter. Cook on medium-high, occasionally stirring and swirling the pan, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished rice between 4 dishes. Top with the cooked salmon fillets and sauce. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!

Make the sauce & plate your dish:
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