# Three-Miso Coconut Salmon Curry with Winter Greens and Roasted Cashews > Tender salmon sits in a pale coconut curry layered with three misos, mushrooms, and winter greens. Roasted cashews and crisp salmon skin add crunch, while lime and fresh pea shoots keep the rich broth bright. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/coconut-miso-salmon-curry - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2026-01-07 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian ![Three-Miso Coconut Salmon Curry with Winter Greens and Roasted Cashews](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F5bc7fbfa8136a3ed.jpg) ## Three-Miso Coconut Curry with Winter Greens Coconut milk rounds out the fermented depth of the misos. Adding the miso after the vegetables soften preserves its aroma and makes the final salt level easier to control. ### Ingredients - 1 tablespoon avocado oil - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced - 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced - 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger - 2 cloves garlic, finely grated - 2 teaspoons gluten-free Thai yellow curry paste - 2 13.5-ounce cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk - 1 cup water, plus more as needed - 1 bunch lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into ribbons - 1 tablespoon gluten-free mushroom miso - 1 tablespoon gluten-free corn miso - 1 tablespoon gluten-free sweet taro miso - 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste ### Instructions 1. Heat the avocado oil in a wide, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and translucent rather than browned. 2. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and curry paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Add the coconut milk and water, stirring until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer, add the kale, and cook for 5–7 minutes until tender but still distinctly green. 4. Whisk the three misos with a ladleful of hot broth in a small bowl. Reduce the heat to low and stir the mixture into the curry. Keep below a vigorous simmer. 5. Use this broth to poach the salmon as directed in the salmon component. Once the fish is cooked, add lime juice to taste and thin with a little hot water if needed; the curry should pool freely around the fish rather than coat it like a thick sauce. ### Notes - Miso salinity varies considerably. Start with 2 tablespoons total if your pastes are especially salty, then add the remainder to taste. - Use gluten-free versions of all three misos and the curry paste. Keep the curry paste modest so the misos remain the main flavor. ## Gently Poached Salmon with Crisp Skin Poaching keeps the salmon moist and lets its juices enrich the curry. Crisping the skin separately provides a dry, brittle contrast that would disappear if it simmered in the broth. ### Ingredients - 1½ pounds skin-on salmon, pin bones removed - 1 teaspoon avocado oil - 1 small pinch fine sea salt - prepared three-miso coconut curry ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 400°F. With a sharp knife, remove the salmon skin in wide strips, or ask your fishmonger to remove and reserve it. Scrape away any thick flesh clinging to the skin and pat it very dry. 2. Lightly rub the skin with avocado oil and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt. Arrange flat between two sheets of parchment on a rimmed baking sheet, then set another baking sheet on top to keep it flat. 3. Bake for 15 minutes, then check. Continue for 3–10 minutes as needed until the skin is dry and crisp; it will firm further as it cools. Transfer to a rack and break into long shards. 4. Cut the salmon flesh into roughly 2-inch pieces. Nestle into the prepared curry in a single layer, keeping the liquid at a bare simmer. 5. Cover partially and poach for 6–10 minutes, depending on thickness, until the thickest pieces reach 145°F. Avoid stirring; gently shake the pan instead so the fish stays in generous pieces. 6. Remove from the heat immediately and finish the curry with lime juice. Keep the crisp skin dry until plating. ### Notes - Start checking thin salmon pieces early and remove individual pieces as they finish. - The skin can be crisped an hour ahead and held uncovered at room temperature. ## Steamed Jasmine Rice A small serving of white rice catches the coconut-miso broth without competing with the fish. ### Ingredients - 1 cup white jasmine rice - 1¼ cups water, or the amount specified on the rice package ### Instructions 1. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear and drain thoroughly. 2. Combine with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, or according to the package. 3. Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff gently before serving. ### Notes - Serve in separate small bowls if you want the curry to remain especially brothy. ## Roasted Cashew and Pea Shoot Finish Buttery cashews echo the coconut's richness, while fresh shoots and a little shallot bring crispness and lift. ### Ingredients - ½ cup roasted cashews, preferably Vietnamese, some left whole and some roughly chopped - 1 cup tender pea shoots, washed and dried - 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced ### Instructions 1. Trim any tough stems from the pea shoots. 2. Rinse the sliced shallot briefly in cold water, then drain and pat dry to soften its raw bite. 3. Keep the cashews, shoots, and shallot separate until serving so they remain crisp. ### Notes - If using salted cashews, account for their seasoning when tasting the finished curry. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The rice and salmon skin cook while the curry comes together, leaving only a short, gentle poach just before serving. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 400°F, rinse the rice, and begin cooking it. 2. 0:05 — Remove and dry the salmon skin, sandwich it between parchment and baking sheets, and put it in the oven. 3. 0:10 — Slice the vegetables and begin the curry. Prepare the cashews, shoots, and shallot while the onion and mushrooms soften. 4. 0:25 — Check the salmon skin and let the finished rice rest. Add the kale to the coconut broth, then dissolve and add the misos. 5. 0:32 — Poach the salmon gently in the curry, checking its temperature early. 6. 0:40 — Finish with lime, adjust the broth's consistency, and plate immediately with the fresh and crisp toppings. ## Plating Wide, shallow bowls show off the pale broth and keep the crunchy toppings above the liquid. ### Instructions 1. Divide a little rice among four warm shallow bowls, or serve it separately. 2. Spoon kale, mushrooms, and onion into the center of each bowl. Arrange the salmon in generous pieces over the vegetables and ladle the coconut-miso broth around them. 3. Scatter over the cashews and shallot, then add the pea shoots. Balance the crisp salmon skin on top at the last moment, keeping most of it clear of the broth. ## Leftover Path Keeping the rice and garnishes separate prevents sogginess and allows gentle reheating of the salmon. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate the curry and rice in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Store the cashews dry and keep the fresh shoots separately refrigerated. 2. Eat the salmon curry within 2 days. Reheat only the portion needed over low heat, adding a splash of water and avoiding a hard boil; bring leftovers to 165°F. 3. Reheat the rice covered until steaming hot throughout. Finish with fresh lime and reserved cashews and shoots. 4. For the best texture, eat the salmon skin immediately rather than storing it on the curry. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.