Quick Salmon Rice Bowls

These salmon rice bowls take less than 30 minutes. They’re healthy, simple and perfect for busy weeknights. Packed full of flavour and colourful ingredients, it’s a great way to get lots of veggies in and you can really make it your own.

Serving size - 4

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons lime juice (or use lemon)

• 1 tablespoon honey

For the bowls

• 1 cucumber

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 avocado

• 1 tablespoon lime juice (or use lemon)

• Handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly torn (optional)

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• 3 tablespoons aioli (optional)

• 3 tablespoons sweet chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce

• 4 nori (seaweed) sheets (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 200C/390F fan. Mix the 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl. Arrange the salmon fillets on a small lined oven tray or baking dish. Spoon the marinade all over the salmon pieces, then turn to coat them evenly. Bake for 8 minutes. Pop them under the grill at the highest setting for the last minute just to get a lovely bit of charred crust on there.

2. Make the rice. Add 1 cup of rice into a small pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ cups of water. Set the pot over a medium heat. Once the top of the water starts to foam a little, pop a lid on (or use a plate or wooden board) and turn the heat right down. Leave the pot undisturbed for 12 minutes. At this point the water should be all absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes. This can all be happening while the salmon is cooking and you’re prepping the rest of the bowl ingredients.

3. Prepare the smashed avocado. Slice the avocado in half and remove the stone. Scoop the flesh out with a spoon into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice, ½ teaspoon of salt and about 1 tablespoon of torn coriander leaves to the bowl with the avocado. Use a knife to slice through the avocado flesh in the bowl, cutting it up into small pieces as you go. Taste, then season with a little more salt if it needs it.

4. Make the quick pickled cucumber. Slice the cucumber lengthways, then scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard them. Cut the cucumber into small diced pieces, then pop into a bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine, then set aside.

5. Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice between bowls, then top with the salmon, drizzling over any remaining marinade from your oven dish. Add a dollop of the smashed avocado, spoon over the pickled cucumber, then top with creamy aioli and zingy sweet chilli jam. Finish with a scattering of spring onion and serve with the nori sheets on the side - use it to scoop a little of each ingredient to make a small salmon bite.

TIPS

1. Salmon - if you have time, you can let the salmon sit in the marinade for up to 30 minutes to maximise the flavour.

2. Rice - you can prepare in Microwave or Rice Cooker or Prep Ahead to save time.

3. Cucumber - if you prefer, skip the pickled cucumber and just add to bowl with a little salt.

4. Storage - These bowls are great for meal prep. You can prepare the individual elements in advance and store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to serve. Approx. 5 days.

5. Mix it up - instead of Salmon you can use Grilled Chicken, Pan Fried Tofu or Haloumi

6. Bulk the bowls - add Edamame beans, sliced carrot, shredded cabbage, chunks of mango, pineapple, bean sprouts or leafy greens would be great here. Switch out the rice for a big handful of spinach if you’re wanting to go low-carb or keto.