Spice Up Your Spring with This Easy and Satisfying Salmon Sushi Bowl Recipe

As spring arrives with its warm sunshine and track meets, it's the perfect time to enjoy fresh meals. If you want a quick lunch option that is both tasty and nutritious, a salmon sushi bowl is a fantastic choice. This dish is not only full of flavor but also incredibly refreshing. Perfect for a post-workout boost or a packing for lunch at work, this bowl features the deliciousness of salmon complemented by a poke bowl sauce and a variety of veggies.

The Ingredients You'll Need

This bowl can be made as speedy as you need by choosing pre-made rice, pre-cooked salmon, but pulls together quickly even if you opt to cook things yourself:

Rice

• 2 cups brown or sushi rice (if eating the night before a workout I recommend white rice)

• 2 cups water

• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

Bowl Toppings

• 2-3 fillets of salmon

• 2 tsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 1 small cucumber, sliced

• 2 carrots, diced (or use pre-packaged shredded carrots)

• 1 cup frozen edamame

• Spicy mayo (mix mayonnaise with sriracha to your liking)

• Nori seaweed sheets, cut into strips

• Sesame seeds for garnish

Sauce

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp Mirin (or sub more rice vinegar)

• 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

• 2 tsp chili crunch or Sriracha

• 2 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 clove garlic, minced

Let's Cook!

1. Before starting your rice, pre-heat your oven or air fryer to 425 F.

2. Prep your rice.

We use a rice cooker to avoid needing to think about our rice at all. You can also use frozen rice for a super speedy meal. Keep in mind brown rice will take a little longer and may need more water, read the package for directions. Our rice cooker also takes forever, so if you use a rice cooker make sure you start it early for your rice to be ready to eat!

3. Cook your rice.

If making your rice on the stove, start by rinsing the sushi rice under cold water until it runs mostly clear. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with two cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 18 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

4. Make your salmon

While your rice is cooking, pat your salmon dry with a paper towel and drizzle with a olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I recommend using an air fryer to cook your salmon if you have one, but an oven is fine too!

Arrange the salmon, on the air fryer basket or on foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet. The salmon should take about 10-15 minutes depending on how thick it is. Look for it to be light pink and flake off if you put a fork to it!

5. Chop your toppings!

Slice your avocado, cucumber, and carrots and put aside. You can also grate your ginger to be ready to make the sauce!

6. Mix the sauce

Add the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, chili crunch/Sriracha, ginger and garlic to a small bowl and stir until combined.

7. Making sushi rice

After the rice is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Once rested, stir in the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. The warmth of the rice will dissolve the sugar, creating a delightful sweet-tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the salmon.

8. Bring it all together

Fill your bowl with rice, salmon and veggies and top with sauce, sesame seeds and crumbled nori sheets! Enjoy!

Make it a Performance Plate!

Pre- or Post Workout: Add more rice to your plate and less veggies. You might also consider using white rice instead of fiber if eating the night before a tough workout to lower the fiber.

Off-days and Easy Days: Focus on balance and color by getting in an equal amount of rice, salmon and veggies to promote recovery and build muscle