This delicious summery dish is bursting with flavour— the light and flaky fish is paired with a healthy orzo salad filled with fresh herbs, zesty lemon, pan-fried courgette (fresh from the garden!) and salty olives. A simple vinaigrette is drizzled on top— you can whip this up in no time!
Dairy-Free • Pescatarian
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What you’ll need & recommended substitutions
What you’ll need & recommended substitutions
- Fish. I recommend any white, thin, flaky fish! This makes it easy and quick to pan fry.
- Orzo. I love orzo in this recipe, but giant couscous or ditalini both work really well in this recipe. [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
- Herbs. I recommend dill or coriander (cilantro)— both pair well with the zesty lemon and olives. BUT, use any fresh herb you love or that you have growing!
- Aromatics. I used spring onion and fresh pressed garlic in this recipe. Pressing the garlic brings out a more intense flavour, as compared to just chopping it. I use a simple stainless steel garlic press. If you need a substitution, I would recommend adding chives as a replacement to either of the aromatics. [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
- Courgette (zucchini). When courgette is thinly sliced and pan-fried, it adds great texture to the orzo salad! In my opinion, it’s hard to find a veggie replacement for this, without changing the entire dish. In the summer months, yellow squash starts making an appearance in some grocery stores and famers’ markets— this is very similar to courgette and would taste delicious in this recipe!
- Olives. Green olives, specifically! Capers or chopped artichoke hearts are great alternatives! Both have that salty, vinegary taste that helps bring out more flavour in the dish.
- Dressing. It’s very simple! The lemon dijon dressing brings all the flavours together and compliments the olives with the light, flaky fish. I always recommend using extra-virgin olive oil in simple dressings because you can really notice the higher quality and intense flavour (compared to light/neutral cooking oils). Extra-virgin olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fats, which are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and great for heart health! My favourite affordable brand is Filippo Berio. [Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Cook the orzo. This is what takes the longest— but it’s only 8-10 minutes! So, boil the water and add in the orzo. While that’s cooking, prep the other ingredients.
Step 2. Chop! & prepare the dressing. Chop the coriander, dill, and spring onion. Press the fresh garlic. Thinly slice the courgette, then quarter the slices. Heat a non-stick pan to high heat with some olive oil. Add the courgette and pan fry for ~5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Then add the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well (or whisk in a bowl). At this time, the orzo will be ready. Drain any excess water, then mix with the herbs, aromatics, courgette, olives and dressing.
Step 3. Pan fry the fish. Heat a non-stick pan to medium-heat with olive oil. Add the fish and cook for just 2-3 minutes on each side. Squeeze some lemon on it as it cooks. Serve alongside the orzo salad.
Other Recipes
- Crispy Duck Salad with Orange Slices and Pomegranate Seeds
- Honey Roasted Parsnip Spelt Grain Bowl
- Vegetarian Miso Ramen
- Ginger and Soy Glazed Salmon Poke Bowl
Pan-Fried Plaice with Lemon Orzo Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 240 g plaice fillets
- ½ lemon, squeezed
- 100 g orzo (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped (cilantro)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 120 g courgette (zucchini)
- 10-15 green olives, pitted
Lemon Dijon Dressing
- 1 lemon, squeezed
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in the orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente.
- While the orzo is cooking, chop the herbs and spring onion. Press the garlic. Thinly slice the courgette, then quarter the slices.
- Heat a non-stick pan to high heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the courgette and pan fry for ~5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well (or whisk in a bowl). Toss with the cooked orzo, herbs, aromatics, olives, and pan-fried courgette.
- Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Cook the plaice for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how thick the fish fillets are.
- Serve the plaice alongside the orzo pasta salad. Enjoy!
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