Maple Sesame Salmon Noodle Bowls with Spicy Cilantro Sauce
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 10 oz soba noodles*
- 1-1.5 lbs salmon, cut into filets
- 4 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 bunch broccolini or broccoli rabe**
- Sesame seeds, for topping
For the sauce:
- 2 cups loosely packed cilantro (about 1 bunch, save some for topping)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (to make it spicier)***
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 cloves garlic
For the radish salad:
- 1 bunch radishes, quartered (about 2 cups)
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, very thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- *You could also use rice noodles or cooked rice.
- **You could also just use 1 bunch of broccoli (or about 3 cups florets). I used kale rabe from a local farmer.
- ***Depending on how spicy the jalapeno is and how spicy you want to make it. Taste and be the judge!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 10 oz soba noodles (or rice)
- Quarter 1 bunch radishes (about 2 cups)
- Very thinly slice 1 jalapeno
- Make the crunchy veg salad (add the avocado when serving so it doesn’t brown)
- Make the sauce
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions or cook the rice (rice cooking instructions).
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the salmon to one half of the baking sheet and drizzle evenly with 2 teaspoons sesame oil, maple syrup, and rub around to coat. Sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and rub around to coat.
- Add the broccolini or broccoli rabe to the other half of the baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and toss/massage the oil to coat. Arrange the salmon evenly spaced on the baking sheet and scatter the broccolini around it (see photo). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and broccolini is just beginning to char.
- I like to peel off the skin from the salmon filets before serving, but that is optional.
- In a high-speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, add, radish, avocado, jalapeno, lemon juice, and salt. Toss to coat.
- Add noodles or rice to your bowl. Top with salmon, broccolini/broccoli rabe, and radish salad. Drizzle generously with the sauce and top with more chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, you could skip the salmon all together and just top the bowl with two fried eggs and some edamame. You could also bake tofu, adding the broccolini during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt or replace the yogurt with ¼ cup of walnuts and an extra tablespoon of lemon.
- Use any fish or protein in place of the salmon. If using something like chicken, which takes longer to cook, add the broccolini during the last 10 minutes of bake time.
- Use 2 cups of any raw crunchy veggie in place of the radish.
- If you don’t want it spicy at all, leave the jalapeno out of the salad and sauce.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Noodles: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Salmon: up to 4 days in the fridge
- Raw veg salad: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Sauce: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the salmon, broccolini, and noodles until just warm. It helps to break the salmon into chunks so that it heats evenly. Serve with the crunchy veg salad and top with sauce and toppings.
- Make it a salmon taco! Add leftover salmon and crunchy veg to a warm tortilla and top with sauce and toppings.
- Eat it as a cold noodle salad. Keep the noodles and veg cold and toss it in the dressing. Warm up the salmon and put it on top.