If there’s one recipe that earns its place in the weekly rotation without complaint, it’s this one.
Sesame salmon bowls are the kind of dinner that looks like you’ve made a real effort – glossy, golden salmon sitting on a bed of steamed rice, scattered with cucumber, edamame and a drizzle of sesame dressing – while actually coming together in less time than it takes to watch the news.
The flavours are clean and bold: the richness of salmon balanced by the nuttiness of sesame, a little heat, a little sweetness, and the satisfying crunch of toasted seeds on top. It works equally well for one person or a crowd, scales up without fuss, and reheats beautifully the next day if you keep the dressing separate. This is weeknight cooking at its very best.
Glossy glazed salmon over steamed rice with fresh vegetables and a sticky sesame dressing – on the table in under 30 minutes.
Servings 2
Ingredients
2 salmon fillets (skin on)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoons sriracha or chilli sauce (optional)
1 cup jasmine or sushi rice
Handful of cherry tomatoes
0.5 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced
0.5 cups edamame (frozen, thawed)
0.5 cups shredded red cabbage
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
1 Cook the rice: Rinse 1 cups jasmine or sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to packet instructions, then cover and set aside to steam for 15 minutes 15:00before fluffing with a fork.
2 Make the sesame glaze: Whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1tablespoons honey, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated, 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar and 1 teaspoons sriracha or chilli sauce (optional) in a small bowl until combined. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture to use as a dressing over the finished bowls — the rest will be used to glaze the salmon.
3 Marinate the salmon: Pat 2 salmon fillets (skin on) dry with paper towel and place in a shallow dish. Pour the larger portion of the glaze over the salmon and turn to coat. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes 10:00 at room temperature.
4 Sear the salmon: Heat 1 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin-side up and cook for 3–7 minutes until golden. Flip and cook a further 2–3 minutes, spooning any remaining glaze over the top, until just cooked through with a slightly pink centre. Remove from heat and rest for 2 minutes.
5 Assemble the bowls: Divide the rice between two bowls. Arrange half cucumber, thinly sliced, tomato, avocado sliced, edamame (frozen, thawed) and shredded red cabbage alongside the rice. Place the salmon fillets on top, skin-side up to keep it crispy. Drizzle over the reserved sesame dressing, then scatter with 2 spring onions, finely sliced and 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
TIP: For extra crunch, add a handful of crispy fried shallots on top. The sesame dressing also works beautifully as a dipping sauce or salad dressing – make a double batch and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. If you’re cooking for one, a single salmon fillet works perfectly and the bowl toppings keep well separately in the fridge overnight.