Chickpea, Salmon and Arugula Salad

It is really important to me that I can serve my family a freshly cooked meal every day at dinner time. But there are many reasons why some days it is hard to pull that off! In that case, I choose ingredients that cook fast, I take some shortcuts, and most importantly, I add as much fresh vegetables as possible to my quick dinners! One of my favorite examples of that is this Chickpea, Salmon, and Arugula Salad. 

For this recipe I chose salmon since it cooks so quickly. I like to keep frozen salmon fillets at home. That is my go to protein choice when I am short on time. To speed up the defrosting I place the salmon fillets (still in their packaging) inside a bowl full of water. Better yet, you can stop at the market and get the fresh fish. To cook the salmon, I pat it dry with paper towels, I drizzle it with olive oil and bake in a 400°F oven for about 18 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.

While the fish cooks, I make a dressing by whisking together things I always have in my pantry and refrigerator: olive oil, red wine vinegar, agave nectar or honey, lemon juice and zest, and Dijon mustard.

My shortcut is to use canned chickpeas. I drain them and rinse thoroughly with running cold water.

In a large bowl, I put all the ingredients but the arugula and salmon. Note that you can use any vegetables you have in your refrigerator. Sugar snap peas or asparagus would make great substitutes for the radishes. I pour in the dressing and stir to combine.

Next I stir in the arugula.

And finally, I use my hands to break down the salmon and then I gently stir it in the salad.

Before serving, I like to drizzle very good olive oil over my salad and add some extra freshly ground black pepper. A lemon edge and crusty bread are also great accompaniments. 

In just about 30 minutes you will have a colorful, fresh and healthy meal to share with your family. Any left overs make for a great lunch on the next day!