Name: Salmon Banh Mi Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs salmon filets; 1/2 cup sesame oil; juice from half a lemon; sea salt and black pepper to taste; 3/4 cup carrots (shredded); 3/4 cup daikon radish (shredded); 3/4 cup cucumber (shredded); 1 jalapeno (seeds removed and diced); 1.5 cups rice vinegar; 1.5 cups filtered water; 2 tbs coconut sugar; 2 tsp sea salt; 10 cups spring lettuce mix; 1/2 cup cilantro (chopped); Drizzle of ancho aioli (recipe below) (could substitute sriracha mayo)

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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: Chicken Manchurian Recipe

ingredients for salmon banh mi salad in clear glass containers on marble countertop with raw salmon pickled veggies spring greens cilantro and ancho aioli

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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

salmon banh mi salad on a white plate with ingredients surrounding it

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.

salmon marinating in sesame oil in a glass baking dish overtop a white and cream ticking stripe tea towel

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.

quick pickled vegetables in a glass bowl overtop a white and cream colored ticking stripe tea towel

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.

squeezing lemon juice overtop salmon in a baking dish

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.

salmon banh mi salad on a white plate topped with cilantro on a bed of spring greens

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

cooked salmon on a white plate pickled vegetables in a glass container spring greens in a glass bowl and ancho aioli in a glass bowl

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

salmon bahn mi salad topped with cilantro and ancho aioli

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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easy salmon banh mi salad recipe for dinner or lunch

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Salmon Banh Mi Salad

Kyrie | Healthfully Rooted Home

With sesame marinated salmon, quick pickled vegetables, and fresh greens, this salad is light and full of flavor.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Vietnamese

Servings 6 servings

Calories 200 kcal