I love, love, love using almond meal as a ‘crust’ for baked goods like this Smoked Salmon Spinach Tart.
It adds that lovely pastry mouthfeel without all the carbs.
Or any of the effort involved in making pastry.
Which, of course is where the ‘super easy’ in the title comes in.
To manage expectations it won’t be crisp like a regular pastry shell that is baked blind first. But I doubt you’ll hear any complaints.
I also adore smoked salmon but my Irishman dismisses it as being ‘too fishy’.
So rather than bake the salmon into this tart, I serve it on top so any non-fish people can have theirs with ham. Or salami. #everyonehappy
Makes for 3 light serves or 2 very large ones.
Super Easy Smoked Salmon + Spinach Tart
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5oz) almond meal
- 250 g (8oz) frozen spinach defrosted + squeezed dry
- 4 eggs
- 200 g (7oz) whipping cream
- 100 g (3.5oz) smoked salmon
- green salad to serve
Instructions
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Turn your oven to 200C (400F). Line the base (and sides if you like – I do) of a 24cm (9in) springform pan with baking paper. Scatter the almond meal over the base. Then scatter over the well drained spinach.
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In a medium bowl stir together the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pour the egg mixture over the spinach.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is set and starting to puff up.
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Serve with salmon on top. And green salad on the side.
Recipe Video
WINE MATCH: A crisp dry Riesling or Pinot Gris.
NET CARBS: 8g/serve
Smoked Salmon Spinach Tart Variations & Substitutions
green salad – combine 1 tablespoon vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season and toss with a bag of washed salad leaves. Too easy.
vegetarian – replace salmon with cheese. A salty feta, creamy ricotta, gutsy blue, sharp cheddar or just good old parmesan. Either scatter the cheese over the top before baking or mix it in with the cream. Or use grilled veg like red peppers, zucchini or eggplant to serve. The other option is to add cooked mushrooms or artichokes with the cream mixture.
dairy-free – Replace the cream with 3 extra eggs.
egg-free – the eggs help to set the tart. I’m thinking you could make a vegetable and ricotta based filling instead. But it needs some experimentation. Sorry!
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve with crusty bread and butter. Or add some cooked potatoes with the cream mixture. Or serve roast potatoes or other root veg on the side.
more substantial (low carb) – make 2 serves. Or use extra salmon. Or serve with roast walnuts or almonds on top. Or some avocado.
Low FODMAP – halve the almond meal.
different vegetables – I like to add some chopped chives with the cream. Feel free to use any cooked or defrosted frozen greens in place of the spinach. Frozen kale it excellent. Other cooked veg will work too – think broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, artichoke hearts, onion, leeks, eggplant or any roast veggies. Halved raw cherry tomatoes would be a nice touch in Summer. Cooked legumes like chickpeas or lentils.
different protein – ham, salami, prosciutto, shaved parmesan, crumbled feta, roast walnuts, chickpeas, pulled chicken, cooked bacon, cooked chorizo.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
almond meal – keep it in the pantry.
frozen spinach – keep in the freezer.
eggs – will keep in the fridge for weeks or use for another meal.
cream – unopened cartons will generally keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. If you need to store for longer, just pop in the freezer in a sealed container.
smoked salmon – freeze it.
salad leaves – are highly perishable. My first path would be to use them for another meal (salad for breakfast!) but if that isn’t possible you can pop them in the freezer. They will wilt down but can then be used anywhere you’d use wilted greens.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the salmon and salad separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Don’t freeze. To serve, allow to come to room temp or warm gently in the oven.
More Simple Salmon Recipes
- Spiced Salmon with Almond ‘Hummus’
- Rosemary Macadamia Salsa Salmon
- Salmon with Spiced Butter & Broccoli
- Salmon, Pea & Feta Bowls
- Indian Spiced Salmon with Minty Yoghurt
- Lemony Miso Salmon
Have fun in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
Hi Jules,
nice to read from you again.
One question – do you use hot or cold smoked salmon for this recipe?
Thanks,
Kamila
I”ve used cold smoked salmon in the photo Kamila.. but either will work :)
Hi Jules,
I’d like to make this but I’m not sure what you mean by almond meal. I live in the U.S.A. We can get almond flour at Trader Joe’s. Would that be the same? I like the idea of adding onions and mixed peppers. It would taste great! Thanks. Sharon
In the U.S. to substitute for almond meal you would want to get almond flour made with the whole almond , so flecked with bits of dark husk from the nuts. Or grind up while almonds in your blender(but stop the blender before it turn into almond butter.) Don’t get the superfine almond flour made from blanched almonds, which is lighter in color.
Sorry for the mistake… Grind up whole almonds
Hi Jules,
This looks fab! I love quiches but haven’t cooked them for years because of the extra carb that puts me off. One question though- how did you get dry almond meal to cover the sides?
Thank you!
Julia x
I love this recipe – have made it so many times and so easy to mix it up with frozen peas or asparagus instead of the spinach. I love that the almond makes it a bit more substantial and filling than a plain frittata. Also I just cook it in a silicone circular cake tin (I think 9 inch) and it never sticks at all, just pops out, which makes it even quicker.
Yay Meriel!