FISH ON PESTO BULGHUR SALAD
Delicate pan fried fish pairs perfectly with this pesto bulghur salad. A light meal with a touch of gourmet!
Bulghur wheat is such an easy grain to work with. Simply pour boiling water over the top, leave to sit for 10 minutes, and it’s ready to go!
Unfortunately it’s not gluten-free, so if you follow a gluten-free diet you’ll need to replace it with something else. An easy alternative is microwave pouches of brown rice and quinoa.
I’ve gone with homemade pesto rather than store-bought this time. It features kale and tamari almonds (yum!) rather than the usual basil and pine nuts. Super easy and so delicious – why haven’t I made homemade pesto sooner?!
Chicken tenderloins are the perfect alternative to fish for my non-seafood-eating followers 😊
FISH ON PESTO BULGHUR SALAD
Delicate pan fried fish pairs perfectly with this pesto bulghur salad. The homemade kale and almond pesto is super easy and so delicious!
Ingredients
PESTO
- 50 g baby kale (1.8oz)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup tamari almonds (40g)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan, divided (45g)
BULGHUR SALAD
- 1/2 red capsicum
- 100 g semi-dried or sundried tomatoes (3.5oz)
- 50 g pitted green olives (1.8oz) (optional)
- 3/4 cup boiling water (188ml)
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder
- 3/4 cup bulghur wheat (150g)
- 50 g baby kale (1.8oz)
FISH
- 500 g white fish fillets (1lb 2oz)
- 1/3 cup plain flour (50g)
- 1/2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
MAKE PESTO
Pulse kale, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor until almost smooth. Add almonds and half of the parmesan. Pulse until you form a chunky pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
PREPARE BULGHUR SALAD
Finely dice capsicum, thinly slice sundried tomatoes and cut olives in half, if using.
Combine boiling water and chicken stock powder in a large heatproof bowl. Stir in bulghur wheat, cover and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
COOK FISH
Season fish with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate and press both sides of fish into flour to coat. Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. When butter is melted and bubbling, fry fish for 2-3 minutes each side, until cooked through. Remove pan from heat.
SERVE
Fluff bulghur with a fork. Add capsicum, sundried tomatoes, olives (if using), kale and half the pesto. Toss to combine. Divide between individual serving plates. Top with fish. Dollop remaining pesto on top and sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A Pinot Gris.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Make sure tamari almonds are gluten-free. Omit stock powder and replace bulghur wheat with 250g / 8.8oz small dried gluten-free pasta (cook according to instructions on the packet) or 2 x 250g / 2 x 8.8oz microwave pouches brown rice and quinoa. Use plain gluten-free flour.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: You can make your own tamari almonds by toasting or warming 1/4 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds in a frying pan. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce to coat. Leave to cool. Semi-dried or sundried tomatoes could be swapped for 150g / 5.3oz cherry tomatoes. If you don’t like fish, swap for chicken tenderloins (cook for a few extra minutes, until fully cooked through).
EQUIPMENT TIP: If you don’t have a food processor, you could use a high powered smoothie maker or blender to make the pesto.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions in containers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. Alternatively, keep the salad separate and eat cold. Reheat fish in the microwave and add to salad just before serving.
