Easy Salmon Bowls with Smashed Cucumber Salad

Salmon is our go-to fish in this house. It’s so flavorful, cooks up so quickly and can be used in lots of different ways. We cook it a million different ways (ok, not a million, but a lotttt of ways and you can see them all here). It’s just that good and you can legit buy salmon in most stores – it’s very common to get a hold of.

Last night I knew I was going to make salmon and wanted it to have an asian-flavor flare. So I decided to use some yummy flavors to make this salmon shine. It’s got soy sauce and sesame oil, garlic and ginger and a few others goodies that make it beyond flavorful. When you pare it with the cucumber salad, it adds such a nice crunch and tang, and to be honest, the rice pulls the whole dish together. It’s such an amazing bowl of food that just works so well together. I drizzle some of the marinade on top and it’s dynamite!

When I cook this, it takes about 40 minutes, so it’s a good weekend dish or if you have time on a weeknight. It has a lot of steps, so I’d say this is more of a medium difficulty dish even though each step isn’t complicated.

Whenever you make it, I know you’ll love it! Now, tell me, what’s your favorite way to cook salmon? I’d love to hear in the comments below! Happy cooking!

Easy Salmon Bowls with Smashed Cucumber Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

Salmon:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 pound salmon filet, cut into 1-inch cubes

Rice:

1 cup rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Smashed Cucumber Salad:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 large English cucumber
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup to marinade the salmon. Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade for serving. Add the cubed salmon to the remaining marinade and allow to marinate for ~20 minutes. While it marinates, start your rice and cucumber salad.
To make the rice: if using a rice cooker or pressure cooker, add rice, water and rice vinegar to the pot, seal and set to rice setting. Follow cooking instructions and set aside to cool once done cooking. If using a pot, add rice, water and rice vinegar. Bring to a strong simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender (~15 minutes). Turn off the heat and let rice steam with the lid on for 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, make the cucumber salad: in a medium serving bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Set aside. Trim the ends of the cucumbers, and cut each in half lengthwise. Place the cucumbers cut side down on cutting board, and use a rolling pin or heavy skillet to smash each half until it splits open. After smashing, cut each cucumber into 1/2-inch to 1-inch slices and add to the bowl with your dressing. Add the sesame seeds, and toss to coat.
To finish the salmon, heat a large cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, gently place the salmon in the pan leaving the excess marinade behind in the bowl. Cook the salmon cubes for 5-6 minutes total, flipping occasionally until lightly caramelized and cooked to your preference.
To serve, divide the rice between bowls and add the salmon, cucumber salad, and any other toppings you’d like. Drizzle with marinade set aside earlier and enjoy!