Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls

My husband and I both love sushi. In fact, we had our wedding reception at our favorite Japanese restaurant in Orlando. Sounds odd, I know, but they happened to have a banquet room with glass walls that overlooked a koi pond and their walled gardens. It was so serene and beautiful, and yes, we had sushi as a dinner option. We still have it regularly, and it’s the only way my husband really likes salmon. I’ll eat it any which way I can, but raw is it for him. These Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls are something we can both agree on. They look delish and solve the problem of not knowing how to roll sushi. I do want to give it a go eventually, but not today. Today it’s time for sushi bowls!

All the flavors of a salmon sushi roll without rolling them in nori wrappers. It is like having a giant salmon sushi roll as a salad. Lightly marinated fresh wild salmon, sweet/tangy sushi rise, cucumbers, carrots, scallions and creamy avocado chunks. This is an easy one-bowl dinner!

Recipe Author: Pat and Dahn at Savor the Best
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The Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients in these Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls, but I was able to find most of what I needed at my usual grocery store. Toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, sushi rice, ginger, scallions, avocado, lettuce, and salmon were all easy to find.

What I didn’t find locally were the nori sheets and sushi seasoning mix. I was able to order both, but it turned out that I didn’t need the sushi seasoning. It’s listed in the ingredients, but you have to read the notes for clarification.

Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls Ingredients
Salmon fillets, toasted sesame oil, wasabi paste, sushi seasoning mix, pickled ginger, honey, sesame seeds, chili garlic sauce, salad greens, sushi rice, sugar, green onions, nori sheet, English cucumber, carrot, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sea salt, avocado, and ginger root

You can mix in sushi seasoning instead of making a solution of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. I already had the solution ingredients in my pantry, so I didn’t need the seasoning mix. That suited me just fine since I wasn’t able to find it in a packet. What I bought came in a small jar, and I wasn’t sure how much to use.

I later researched it and found the recommended amount of sushi rice seasoning is 35 grams per 2 cups of sushi rice. I’m not sure if that’s dry or cooked, but the context sounds like cooked. Rice triples when cooked, so 2 cups dry would give you 6 cups cooked, requiring 105 grams of seasoning.

The Process

There were quite a few parts to this bowl. I started things off by preparing the sushi rice because it had to cool. A quick rinse, some boiled water, and a piece of nori were all I needed to get it started in a saucepan with a secure lid.

Sushi rice cooked with a norit sheet
The nori nearly dissolved. I used a fork to carefully remove it from the cooked rice.

As I mentioned above, I bought sushi seasoning thinking I needed it in addition to the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. I opted not to use it and to do things the traditional way. It really wasn’t much additional work.

All I had to do was warm the vinegar enough to dissolve in the sugar and salt, then mix it into the rice. Very simple, and it took 4 minutes while the rice finished cooking. The instructions do say to use a wood or glass bowl to mix the rice. I only had a glass casserole dish, but it worked nicely for this purpose.

The Rest

I skinned and cubed the salmon fillets while the rice cooled (4 minutes). Then I prepared the marinade (6 minutes) and set half of it aside. It was too soon to actually marinate the salmon, but I did mix the wasabi paste into the other half to make the dipping sauce (1 minute).

Cutting the salmon fillets into 1-inch cubes
Cutting the salmon fillets into 1-inch cubes

Next, I spent 5 minutes prepping the cucumber, carrot, and lettuce. The cucumber was simple to slice with my trusty chef's knife, and I used my mandoline with the shredding plate for the carrots. I suppose I could have used the slicing plate for the cucumber too, but I did it the old-fashioned way. Lastly, I grabbed my knife again and sliced the lettuce into thin strips.

Once I was sure the rice had cooled, I marinated the salmon and cut up the avocado. I didn’t do it earlier so it wouldn’t turn brown. I could have sprinkled it with lemon to slow browning, but I was afraid it would affect the taste.

The Timing

Like I said, there was a lot going on. Here’s how my time was spent:

  • 8 minutes to prep the rice
  • 15 minutes to cook the rice
  • 15 minutes for the rice to stand
  • 3 minutes to finish the rice
  • 45 minutes to let the rice cool and finish the prep work
  • 3 minutes to assemble
  • 1 hour 29 minutes total

That was a lot longer than the 15-minute total time listed on the recipe. Maybe that was once the rice was made and cooled? I’m not sure. Still, while the cooking times were accurate, I have to deduct points in the time category because of the overall time.

So how was it?

Clear & Accurate Directions
Accurate Time(s)
Appearance
Taste
As promised, this Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowl was just like a salmon-based sushi roll without the rolling. My husband and I couldn't get enough! Seriously, it was filling, but I still wanted more as soon as I was done because it tasted so good. The salty, savory, spicy sauce was delish, and the mix of crunchy and creamy textures was perfect. And did I mention the healthy dose of omega-3s from the salmon and avocado? Making this bowl took a lot longer than the 15 minutes listed, but it was worth it. I'm thinking that time didn't include preparing and cooling the rice. You could do it in advance, but the fresh rise is so much better. Other than that, the instructions were easy to follow, and I have no complaints. I'm adjusting the time in my recipe software and favoriting this recipe. It will be made again!
The Hungry Pinner
The Hungry Pinnerhttps://www.hungrypinner.com
I'm Candice, and I'm The Hungry Pinner. I created this blog to share my love for cooking and my experiences with the MANY recipes I've found on Pinterest over the years. Join me as I blog my way through those recipes to find out if they are worth trying yourself.

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As promised, this Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowl was just like a salmon-based sushi roll without the rolling. My husband and I couldn't get enough! Seriously, it was filling, but I still wanted more as soon as I was done because it tasted so good. The salty, savory, spicy sauce was delish, and the mix of crunchy and creamy textures was perfect. And did I mention the healthy dose of omega-3s from the salmon and avocado? Making this bowl took a lot longer than the 15 minutes listed, but it was worth it. I'm thinking that time didn't include preparing and cooling the rice. You could do it in advance, but the fresh rise is so much better. Other than that, the instructions were easy to follow, and I have no complaints. I'm adjusting the time in my recipe software and favoriting this recipe. It will be made again!Spicy Salmon Sushi Bowls