My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Baked Rainbow Trout Fillet with Bulgur Salad
I love seafood. Give me a shrimp ring and it will be demolished in minutes. But when I want to eat fish, hands down what I crave the most is a delicious Rainbow Trout fillet. Don’t get me wrong, Salmon also has a big place in my heart (especially smoked – yum!). But something about the mild flakiness of it that I love. This baked Rainbow Trout fillet recipe with Bulgur Salad is my perfect summer weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 minutes and super refreshing!
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What I love most about eating fish is how cook it is to cook. Whether you’re baking, searing on the stove top, or even BBQing, it’s ready within minutes. I LOVE having Rainbow Trout with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper on most days if I’m honest. It’s quick and delicious. But if I’m feeling fancy and want to elevate the dish a bit, I like to throw on my favorite spice mix: curry powder, turmeric, paprika and salt.
The spices get mixed together with olive oil to create a smooth paste, then you slather it on the rainbow trout fillet and bake it for 15 minutes at 400F. Done. If I’m eating fish in the summer, it’s almost always paired with a bright and herby salad like this Bulgur salad. I chose fine bulgur because again, it “cooks” in 10 minutes just by soaking it in some water. You can also use couscous for this recipe and it’ll work perfectly – see my notes in the recipe for the right water ratio.
Is Rainbow Trout good for you?
Absolutely! Rainbow trout is a type of fish that’s actually lower in mercury levels and has lower levels of fatty acids.
Is Rainbow Trout fishy tasting?
Nope! Rainbow Trout is a fresh water fish and does not have a fishy smell or taste. If you find that yours smells fishy, it means it’s gone bad. It’s one of the reasons it works great for kids, and it’s also why I used it to convince my seafood-hating husband to try it (I failed by the way).
If you’re looking for the perfect summer weeknight dinner on your patio – this is it. Although I would totally have this in the winter too. All year round. If you make this – share it with me on Instagram, I’d love to see. And don’t forget to leave me a review – I love reading those.
For more easy recipes, check out:
Baked Rainbow Trout Fillet with Bulgur Salad
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 400 grams rainbow trout fillet, 1 fillet
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, optional
For the Bulgur Salad:
- 1 cup fine bulgur, replace with couscous if unavailable - see notes
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup fresh Basil, packed
- 1.5 cups quartered cherry tomatoes, or replace with regular tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced black olives
- 3 green onions
For the Salad Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Start by pre-heating your oven to 450F
- Wash and thoroughly dry the rainbow trout fillet using paper towels and place on a non-stick baking sheet (or use parchment paper)
- Mix the spices for the fish with the olive oil to create a paste. Brush onto the whole fish evenly and bake in the oven for 15 minutes on the middle rack
- For the salad, start by washing the fine bulgur and draining really well. Then soak in the 3/4 cups of water (from the tap) and leave it for 10 minutes
- Finely chop the basil and green onions, and cut the cherry tomato in quarters. Drain the black olives
- Mix the dressing ingredients together well, then combine with the bulgur and the vegetables and mix well
- When the fish is cooked, remove from the oven and serve with the bulgur salad on the side
Love the sound of this using couscous:) But sadly we don’t like olives 🙁 – what can I use in place of them, any suggestions please?
You can skip them all together or use capers or sundried tomatoes instead 🙂