Salmon Banh Mi Salad
By Kyrie Luke
A fresh take on the traditional Vietnamese banh mi – I made it into a salmon banh mi salad. With sesame marinated salmon, quick pickled vegetables, and fresh greens, this salad is light and full of flavor.
In just 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can make a light and refreshing meal that the whole family will love!
Related: honey jalapeno chicken tenders recipe
Related: Chicken Manchurian Recipe
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what is salmon banh mi?
Banh mi is traditionally a Vietnamese sandwich made with pork pate, pickled veggies and mayo. My take on banh mi is to use salmon instead of pork and make it into a salad instead of a sandwich.
I keep the flavors Asian-inspired by marinating the salmon in sesame oil and pickling the vegetables with a sweet and sour mixture of rice vinegar and coconut sugar.
how to make a salmon banh mi salad
This salad is tangy, slightly spicy, and bursting with flavor! The best part is that there’s only 15 minutes of hands on time required!
salmon banh mi salad Ingredients
Sesame marinated salmon
- Salmon – marinated in sesame oil, roasted to juicy, flakey perfection.
- Sesame oil – this gives the salmon an asian-inspired flavor.
- Lemon juice – this brings out the flavor of the sesame marinated salmon.
- Sea salt and black pepper – you could also use lemon pepper instead of black pepper.
Quick pickled veggies
- Carrots – so sweet and delicious.
- Daikon radish – crisp, tangy, and mildly peppery flavor.
- Cucumber – refreshing and cool and helps to cool down the jalapeno.
- Jalapeno – adds just enough spice, but can be omitted too.
- Rice vinegar – the rice vinegar is another nod to the traditional origin of this dish. You could also use white wine vinegar.
- Filtered water – always use filtered water if you can. We love our Berkey water filter.
- Coconut sugar – a healthier choice than cane sugar, but adds that delicious sweetness to your pickled veggies.
- Sea salt – go for sea salt rather than table salt. Sea salt has nutritious minerals whereas table salt is devoid of nutrients.
Salad toppings
- Ancho aioli – use this recipe for the best spicy aioli (recipe is also below). Alternatively, you could use sriracha mayo.
- Spring greens – you can use any bed of greens you’d like for the salad!
- Cilantro – go heavy on the cilantro if you love it just as much as we do!
Instructions
- Start by marinating your salmon filets in the sesame oil. Place covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. The longer the better but at least 2 hours is great.
- Once that’s marinating, shred the carrots, cucumbers and daikon. Mix the rice vinegar, water, coconut sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Place the veggies inside the liquid and push down until fully submerged. Place covered in the fridge until you’re ready to top the salad.
- When you’re ready to prep your salad, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and remove the salmon from the fridge. Place the salmon in a baking dish and squeeze lemon juice overtop and season with salt and pepper. Then bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until it’s fully cooked and flakey.
- While the salmon is baking, chop your cilantro and make your ancho aioli (recipe below).
- To assemble the salads, place a bed of greens on a plate. Top the greens with your pickled veggies. Top with salmon garnished generously with cilantro and a drizzle of ancho aioli.
in a pinch instructions
This is already an insanely quick recipe. To make it even quicker you can use these tips below.
- Instead of ancho aioli, you can quickly mix up some sriracha mayo by mixing 1 tsp sriracha per 1 cup mayo.
- Use canned salmon instead of baking fresh salmon for a crazy quick recipe! Just mix the canned salmon with a little sesame oil prior to topping the salad.
how to store salmon banh mi salads
To refrigerate the salmon banh mi salads, you’ll want to keep all the ingredients separated. Place everything individually in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then assemble as explained above.
salmon banh mi salad Tips
- Marinate – Be sure to let your salmon marinate before baking to get the best flavor results.
- Pickle – The quick pickled vegetables begin to taste pickled very quickly. So, even if you only prep the mixture right before baking the salmon, they’ll taste sweet and sour! But, the longer they are pickled, the more sour they’ll become.
- Customize – This salad is so customizable! Change things up to fit your family’s preferences.
salmon banh mi Serving Suggestions
Make it as a sandwich
Alternatively, you could make this exact dish into a sandwich. Just use all the same ingredients but add toasted french baguettes to the mix. Top the baguettes with all the ingredients stated above (to taste) and enjoy!
main course
This dish is best served as a main course and is perfectly filling and healthy!
Meal prep
You can also easily meal prep your salmon banh mi salads. Just prep the greens, pickled veggies and cilantro and a drizzle of ancho aioli in an airtight container. Then, in a separate container keep your salmon portioned out for your salad.
To assemble the next day, all you need to do is heat the salmon and place on top of the vegetables!
types of banh mi
Change the protein
You have options here!
- Pork (I love using BBQ pork for banh mi sandwiches)
- Shredded chicken
- Ham
- Cold cuts
- Fried egg
- Tofu
- Meatballs
- Pork sausage
- Sardine
- Salmon
- Halibut
- Tempeh
Switch up the vegetables
- Lemongrass
- Cucumbers
- Carrots
- Jalapenos
- Cilantro
- Daikon radish
- Onions
- Bell peppers
- Fennel
- Turnips
Swap the sauce
- Hoisin peanut sauce
- 3 ingredient peanut sauce
- Sriracha mayo
- Traditional mayo
- Ancho aioli
Alternative greens
- Make it a sandwich instead
- Arugula
- Spring greens
- Spinach
- Romaine
- Butter lettuce
- Iceburg lettuce
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(These affiliate links help to support this blog at no extra cost to you. Your support means the world to me!)
- Berkey water filter (we use the Royal because we drink an insane amount of water!)
- Thrive Market – 25% off & free gift! (where I get a ton of my ingredients)
- Azure Standard: $25 off your order. Code kyrieluke1
- Dutch oven
- Stand mixer
- Boos Block Butcher Block
- 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
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print the salmon banh mi salad recipe
Salmon Banh Mi Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Start by marinating your salmon filets in the sesame oil. Place covered in the fridge until you're ready to cook. The longer the better but at least 2 hours is great.
- Once that's marinating, shred the carrots, cucumbers and daikon. Mix the rice vinegar, water, coconut sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Place the veggies inside the liquid and push down until fully submerged. Place covered in the fridge until you're ready to top the salad.
- When you're ready to prep your salad, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and remove the salmon from the fridge. Place the salmon in a baking dish and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until it's fully cooked and flakey.
- While the salmon is baking, chop your cilantro and make your ancho aioli (recipe below).
- To assemble the salads, place a bed of greens on a plate. Top the greens with your pickled veggies. Top with salmon garnished generously with cilantro and a drizzle of ancho aioli.
Notes
in a pinch instructions
This is already an insanely quick recipe. To make it even quicker you can use these tips below.- Instead of ancho aioli, you can quickly mix up some sriracha mayo by mixing 1 tsp sriracha per 1 cup mayo.
- Use canned salmon instead of baking fresh salmon for a crazy quick recipe! Just mix the canned salmon with a little sesame oil prior to topping the salad.
how to store salmon banh mi salads
To refrigerate the salmon banh mi salads, you’ll want to keep all the ingredients separated. Place everything individually in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then assemble as explained above.salmon banh mi salad Tips
- Marinate – Be sure to let your salmon marinate before baking to get the best flavor results.
- Pickle – The quick pickled vegetables begin to taste pickled very quickly. So, even if you only prep the mixture right before baking the salmon, they’ll taste sweet and sour! But, the longer they are pickled, the more sour they’ll become.
- Customize – This salad is so customizeable! Change things up to fit your family’s preferences.
print the ancho aioli recipe
Ancho Aioli
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place all the ingredients (except oil) into a blender, or cup of an immersion blender.
- Start blending while simultaneously drizzling the oil in. This will give you that creamy and thick consistency.
- Once oil is added, if using immersion blender, lift the blender up just over the top of the aioli to let some air into it then back down to blend. This makes it nice and creamy!
- Add more avocado oil to thin it out if desired.
Notes
tips for making spicy mayo
- Adjust spice – if you aren’t big on spice, start with just a little bit of chili powder and chili paste and increase if needed. Remember, you can always add more but you can never take it out.
- Control consistency – same idea here, start with less avocado oil and add more to reach your desired consistency. If you’re drizzling your ancho aioli, then you’ll want it a bit thinner than if you were dipping.
- Shortcut – This is a super quick recipe as is, but if you’re pressed for time, use storebought mayo and just stir in the ancho ingredients. No need for a blender and no need to make your own mayo!
how to store Harissa aioli
Store your harissa aioli in the refrigerator for up to 10 days (if it lasts that long in your house!).About Me
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