Lemon Rosemary Salmon with Chickpeas and Greens
This hearty and flavorful roast salmon dish packs a nutritious and delicious punch with protein-rich chickpeas and greens. Lemon, rosemary and tomatoes add rich layers of flavor to this simple yet elegant dish!
I could cook and eat fish every night of the week. Luckily, my whole family feels the same way. However, living in a land-locked state often makes getting good fresh fish challenging. I love this recipe for salmon with chickpeas and greens because it is one that works really well with frozen salmon, making it easy to prepare on short notice. It is a perfect mid-week recipe that feels nutritious and comforting, yet classy all at the same time.
The Ingredients:
There are no rules about the ingredients for this dish, so using a variety of things you have on hand keeps it user-friendly and makes for some fun variations. I am using shallot, however you could substitute a bit of red or yellow onion. I chose a fresh yellow tomato from my garden and a bit of smoked green tomato for extra flavor. Any variety of tomato will work. The greens I like for this recipe are a combination of kale and mustard–both hearty and with a nice bitterness to contrast the richness of the fish. Canned chickpeas are an easy grab from the pantry, however feel free to cook up a batch to use! I think rosemary is the perfect herb to tie all of the flavors together, but thyme and Italian parsley would also taste delicious. Fresh lemon and high quality extra virgin olive oil add the finishing touch. The fish I used was a frozen wild-caught, skin-on Alaskan Sockeye salmon filet.
The Process:
The salmon gets a quick marinade of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, rosemary and garlic for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, shallot and rosemary get a quick sauté in a bit of olive oil to soften and bring out their flavors.
Tomatoes are next in the pan, followed by the greens.
Once the greens have started to wilt, the chickpeas are thrown in last to heat through and get a final seasoning with salt and pepper. This is the perfect time to get the salmon into the oven.
Once the salmon is nicely roasted it is transferred to a serving platter and surrounded with the lovely chickpeas and greens. A final squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil completes the dish!
Lemon Rosemary Salmon with Chickpeas and Greens
Ingredients
Salmon:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 small clove garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen skin-on filet of salmon
Chickpeas and Greens:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2-3 medium or small tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 6 cups mixed fresh greens, kale, mustard or collard
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh lemon juice, for seasoning
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
For the Lemon Rosemary Salmon:
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, rosemary and garlic in a small bowl.
- Rinse and pat dry the salmon filet and place in a parchment-lined baking sheet (if salmon was frozen, make sure it has been properly thawed).
- Spread the lemon juice marinade evenly over the filet. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the Chickpeas and Greens:
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Once the oven is hot and the salmon has finished marinating, remove the plastic and place in the oven to roast while preparing the chickpeas and greens.
- In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the shallot and rosemary and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook and stir for another minute.
- Add the greens and saute for about 5 minutes until starting to wilt, adjusting the heat as needed.
- Add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper, cooking just until heated through.
To Finish the Dish:
- The salmon should roast for 10-12 minutes, just until cooked through (cooking time will vary with the thickness of the filet–be sure not to overcook!)
- Transfer the salmon filet to a warmed serving platter and surround with the chickpeas and greens. Give the dish a final squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
Tips for Success:
- If using frozen salmon, thaw the filet overnight in the refrigerator in a glass pan.
- The salmon will flake easily once it is cooked through. Check the oven after 7 or 8 minutes of roasting in case you have a thinner filet.
- The chickpeas and greens come together quickly in the pan while the salmon roasts, but they can also be prepared in advance and re-warmed for serving.
Wine Pairing:
- This dish would pair beautifully with a Pinot Grigio from Friuli, Vernaccia from Tuscany or a young Austrian Grüner Veltliner.
This looks delicious. What greens do you recommend? Thanks!
Thank you! I just realized that very crucial ingredient had been left out of my recipe card, so thank you for asking the question! I usually use a mix of fresh kale and mustard greens, but collards are delicious as well! I hope you enjoy it!