Lightly Blackened Salmon with Instant Pot Collard Greens and Yum-Yum Sauce

Heartwarming and heart-healthy, this weeknight salmon recipe delivers a soulful dish to your dinner table in under an hour.
Serves 4

Ingredients

For Yum-Yum Sauce:

  • 1 1/2 cups light mayo or olive oil-based mayo
  • 1/4 cup low-/zero-sugar ketchup
  • 2 tbsp. sugar or sugar substitute*
  • 1–2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. hot sauce
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne

For Collard Greens and Mushrooms:

  • 2 lbs. collard greens, trimmed, stems removed and chopped
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 small onion, medium diced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
  • 1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute*
  • 2 tsp. liquid smoke
  • salt and pepper to taste

For Blackened Salmon:

  • 4 salmon filets
  • A bottle of Blackening seasoning or your favorite seasoning blend
  • Vegetable oil

Instructions

For Yum-Yum Sauce:

  1. Stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

For Collard Greens and Mushrooms:

  1. Place all ingredients except salt and pepper into your Instant Pot** and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.
  2. When the half hour is up, let the Instant Pot stand until it depressurizes on its own. Then remove the lid, season with salt and pepper and stir. Taste and repeat until you’ve seasoned the greens to your liking. Set aside.

For Salmon:

  1. Heat a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
  2. Lightly season salmon filets with blackening seasoning.
  3. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of oil into a hot pan. Carefully place the salmon filets in the pan, seasoning-side down. Sear for 4 minutes, then flip. Sear the other side for 3–4 minutes, or until salmon reaches 130–135°F.
  4. Remove salmon from the pan to rest for 5 minutes. The salmon will continue to cook while resting until it reaches 135-140°F degrees.

Assembly

Place a scoop of collard greens into a bowl, followed by a ladle full of broth from the collards. Top with blackened salmon and a drizzle of yum-yum sauce.

Notes:
*If using a sugar substitute such as stevia, be sure to check the package for accurate conversion measurements.
**If you don’t have an Instant Pot, add collard greens ingredients to a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Let collards simmer and braise low and slow for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.