Trout has a delicate, light flavour, so simple ingredients like fresh herbs are the perfect addition to this dish. The result is a main-course salad that feels fresh and satisfying.
It all starts with canned chickpeas, one of the most convenient pantry staples out there. Tossed with canola oil and chili powder, then roasted for about 20 minutes, they come out of the oven golden and crisp, adding a warm, savoury crunch to every forkful.
While the chickpeas roast, give the baby kale a quick rub with lemon juice. This little massage softens the leaves and tones down their bite, so the greens are tender and ready to soak up the dressing. That dressing is where the herbs shine: chives and dill (plus parsley if you have it) whisked into buttermilk and apple cider vinegar with a pinch of hot pepper flakes. Spoon a couple of tablespoons over the trout fillets, then roast the fish for just 10 minutes, until it flakes when tested.
Pile the herbed kale and chickpeas on plates, shave over some Parmesan, and top each salad with a piece of warm trout. Dinner, done, with only one baking sheet to wash.
What makes this salad work is balance. Rich, flaky trout plays against bright lemon and vinegar, tender greens play against the crunch of roasted chickpeas, and the creamy buttermilk dressing ties it all together. Every forkful has something a little different going on. And since it serves 6 as a main, it’s an easy choice for a casual family dinner or a relaxed table of friends.
Want to learn more about cooking with Canadian seafood, or try trout another way? A simple pan-fried fillet is a great place to start.
With roasted chickpeas for texture, leafy greens, and flaky trout all on one plate, this is a salad you’ll look forward to eating.
Recipe developed by Emily Richards.
Kale Chickpea Salad with Trout
Ingredients
- 1 can (19 oz/ 540mL) no salt added chickpeas, drained, and rinsed
- 2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tub (10 oz/ 300 g) baby kale or baby spinach and kale mix
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- pinch hot pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp chopped chives
- 2 Tbsp chopped dill
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley optional
- 2 trout fillets (about 680 g total)
- 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, toss chickpeas with 2 tsp (10 mL) of the oil and chili powder. Spread onto prepared pan and roast for about 20 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp. Set aside to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in another bowl, using your hands, rub kale with lemon juice and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together remaining oil with buttermilk, vinegar, and hot pepper flakes. Stir in chives, dill and parsley if using. Remove 2 tbsp (25 mL) and spread over trout fillets.
- Place trout on baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested.
- Toss remaining dressing with kale and chickpeas. Toss in parmesan and divide among 6 dinner plates. Top each salad with a piece of trout to serve.
Notes
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