A tangy, herby, and light poblano lime dressing over tender greens topped with spiced chickpeas and crisp salmon. Make this versatile dressing ahead of time for easy flavorful weeknight meals!
Poblano Lime Dressing
The poblano lime dressing is definitely the star of the meal. It packs a solid veggie punch with almost two cups of herbs (cilantro and parsley) and two roasted poblano peppers. The flavors and spice level are balanced out with fresh lime juice and mayonnaise. I always use Vegenaise (not an ad) because it’s lighter in flavor than regular mayonnaise.
To make this dressing, roast the peppers along with some garlic and shallot (or onion). Blitz it all in a food processor with the herbs, lime, mayonnaise, and salt and serve immediately or store it in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. This dressing is also great as a dip, as well!
Crispy Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a versatile way of lending texture and protein to a dish. For this salmon salad, I opted for crisp, spiced chickpeas that come together in minutes on the pan. They add a nice crunch to the salad and complement the salmon really well. Added bonus? You can use the same skillet to cook the salmon in so you’re not dirtying more pans.
Salmon Fillets
Salmon is one of my favorite proteins, but I find that I often prepare it the same way (i.e. with a carb and some side of vegetable). I’m always looking for ways to jazz up my salmon game and this salad is one of my go-to meals when I’m craving something on the healthier side without too much fuss.
These salmon fillets cook in no time and only need three ingredients: olive oil, salt, and pepper. Plus, you can use the same skillet from the chickpeas. If you have more than two fillets, cook them and leave them for the next day for a quick lunch or dinner.
Poblano Lime Salmon Salad with Chickpeas
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet pan
- 1 large skillet
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
Poblano Lime Dressing
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1 shallot (or 1/4 of a yellow onion)
- 2 garlic cloves (in skin)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for roasting, 1 for the dressing)
- 1 cup cilantro (25 g)
- ¾ cup parsley (10 g)
- 1 lime, juiced
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise or vegenaise (65g)
- ½ tsp flaky salt (1/4 tsp if using table salt)
- ¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes
Crispy Chickpeas
- 15.5 oz cooked chickpeas (439 g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Salmon Fillets
- 2 6 oz ea. salmon fillets, patted dry with paper towels
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Salad
- 12 oz greens (spinach, arugula, etc.)
Instructions
Poblano Lime Dressing
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Wash and pat dry the two poblano peppers. Place on sheet pan along with two cloves of garlic (in their skins), and shallot (or ¼ of an onion). No need to chop, just place them whole on the pan. Pour one tablespoon of the olive oil over the shallot and garlic. Roast for 25 mins.
- Remove veggies from oven and carefully (using tongs) place the poblano peppers in a medium-sized bowl and cover. Let sit for 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
- When the peppers are cool enough, remove the skins from the peppers (discard skins). If some of the skin stays on, that's fine but try to get most of it off. Place the peeled poblano peppers into the bowl of a food processor along with the roasted garlic (removed from its skin, it should easily slip out) and roasted shallot.
- To the same bowl, add the remaining dressing ingredients. Blend for 2-3 minutes until mixture is creamy. Taste and add more salt if needed. Dressing can be kept in airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Crispy Chickpeas
- In a small bowl or glass, combine the maple syrup and lemon juice. Set aside. In another small bowl, mix all the spices set aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in the large skillet on medium-high heat.
- Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Add to the pan and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes until most chickpeas start developing a golden, almost brown-like color.
- Pour the lemon juice/maple syrup mixture over the chickpeas and stir. This will cause the chickpeas to hiss and steam but keep mixing and it will simmer down. Continue cooking for 30 seconds then add the spices and mix. Continue to cook for 30 seconds then turn the heat off and set the pan aside.
Salmon Fillets
- Pour the chickpeas onto a plate or bowl and using the same pan, heat it again to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Season salmon all over with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering (not smoking), add salmon skin side up. Cook until it has a deep golden color, about 6-7 minutes. Gently flip (tongs work best here) the fillets and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
Assembly
- Dress the greens in the poblano lime dressing (it will take about half of the dressing). Next, add the chickpeas on top followed by the salmon fillet. Place the remaining dressing in a small container or place dollops of it on the salmon.