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This creamy salmon florentine is a tender and flakey salmon dish paired with a delicious sauce. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and can be modified to be AIP.

Creamy salmon Florentine topped with lemon wedges in a large white pan.

What is salmon florentine?

Salmon Florentine is a salmon dish paired with a creamy Florentine sauce that’s traditionally made with heavy cream and white wine. I studied abroad in Florence in college, and of course, I saw my fair share of dishes with tomato sauce, but creamy sauces and savory mushrooms and spinach were also very common in Tuscan cooking!

I love creamy salmon recipes like my salmon piccata and dairy free lemon salmon pasta, but this salmon florentine has a special place in my heart.

This version of Salmon Florentine is made dairy-free with coconut milk instead of heavy cream and is paired with onion, mushroom, and spinach to round out the dish. This dish is gluten and dairy-free, and incredibly nourishing. 

Table of contents

Why you’ll love this Salmon Florentine

  • Creamy goodness. The sauce is SO creamy and delicious.
  • Italian flavors without tomato. As someone who’s nightshade-free and even owns my own nightshade free pasta sauce company, I’m always looking for options for Italian food without tomato, and this is a great opinion!
  • Nourishing and wholesome. Salmon, mushrooms, and spinach are all nutrient-packed and nourishing.

Recipe Ingredients

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Salmon florentine ingredients laid out in bowls.
  • Salmon. I’m always partial to sockeye salmon.
  • Coconut milk & white wine. This is my favorite coconut milk to use in recipes like this.
  • Spinach, mushroom and onions.

Substitutions and modifications

  • Shrimp. This sauce would also pair well with shrimp, though the cook time will vary from the salmon, so be sure to adjust accordingly.
  • White wine vinegar. Personally, I don’t drink, but I do cook with alcohol and the alcohol in wine does largely cook off when cooked. However you can easily use 2 tbsp of chicken broth and 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar.
  • Dairy-free half and half. You can also use a dairy-free half-and-half in place of coconut milk.

How to make salmon florentine

Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.

Step one. Season the salmon.

Step two. Cook the salmon

Step three. Saute the mushrooms.

Step four. Add the garlic and spinach to saute.

Step five. Pour in the sauce and allow to thicken.

Step six. Add the salmon back to the skillet and baste in the sauce, allowing to reheat and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

  • Don’t overcook the salmon! I love using a meat thermometer to ensure my protein is perfectly cooked, but the best way to tell that salmon is cooked without a thermometer is to wait until it easily flakes.
  • Use salmon filets that are a similar thickness. Some pieces of salmon may be a bit thinner if they’re closer to the tail. If you get a few thinner parts, it’s not that big of a deal, but try and keep the bulk of the salmon as a similar cut so it cooks evenly.
  • Add a side. This recipe would be great with a side like…

Recipe FAQS

What makes a “florentine”?

Florentine essentially refers to spinach and a béchamel sauce. This version is a bit different as it’s dairy free and doesn’t use cream or cheese, but it’s the perfect dairy free version!

How do you make salmon florentine with coconut milk?

Use full fat coconut milk! The goal is to keep this sauce really nice and creamy, so the best choice is full-fat coconut milk.

Creamy salmon Florentine topped with lemon wedges in a large white pan.

If you tried these Creamy Salmon Florentine or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

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Creamy Salmon Florentine

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Michelle
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: One Pan
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

This creamy salmon florentine is a tender and flakey salmon dish paired with a delicious sauce. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and can be modified to be AIP.

 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • Juice of one lemon (plus lemon wedges to serve)
  • 1 1/2 tsp arrowroot starch
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided (sub avocado oil)
  • 1 lb salmon (sliced into 3-4 filets)
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the coconut milk, white wine, lemon juice, and arrowroot starch until the arrowroot is dissolved and fully combined. Set aside to use later.
  2. Pat the salmon dry and remove any bones. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon, flesh side down. Set a large, deep pan on the stove and add 2 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the salmon skin side down and allow to crisp until the skin releases easily. Carefully flip and cook on the other side to allow to cook through. Remove the cooked salmon from the pan and set aside.
  3. Saute the onions for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and spinach to the skillet and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the spinach has wilted.
  4. Pour in the sauce and the remainder of the salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Add the salmon back to the skillet and baste in the sauce, allowing to reheat for about a minute.
  6. Season further to taste and serve fresh.

Notes

Alcohol does cook off when cooked, however you can easily use 2 tbsp of chicken broth and 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar.

The arrowroot starch adds a small amount of carbs. If desired, omit this ingredient and simply cook the sauce longer to reduce and thicken.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 362
  • Fat: 25.2g
  • Carbohydrates: 10.2g
  • Fiber: 1.3g
  • Protein: 28.2g