Korean Style Salmon Rice Noodle Salad
Finding the energy to eat well when you are balancing a busy household or managing neurodivergent burnout is a massive challenge. This Korean-Style Salmon Salad is designed for those days when your brain is full but your body needs real fuel.
This high-protein, anti-inflammatory plate comes together in under 20 minutes with minimal "heavy lifting" in the kitchen. By using simple textures and a sauce that doubles as a glaze and a dressing, you can skip the complicated steps and get straight to a meal that feels like a treat.
• Quick and Low-Effort: Minimal prep and a fast cook time make this manageable even on low-energy days.
• Texture-Friendly: The mix of soft noodles and crunchy vegetables provides a satisfying sensory experience.
• Nutrient-Dense: Packed with healthy fats and fresh greens to help sustain your energy levels throughout the day.
• Simple Cleanup: Using one pan for the salmon and sauce keeps the post-meal chores to a minimum.
• Low-Energy Hacks: This recipe is easily adaptable with store-bought shortcuts, allowing you to skip the chopping entirely when you're short on spoons.
• Protein Swaps: Don’t like salmon? This recipe works well with chicken, feel free to swap out the salmon for 1 small chicken breast.
Serves: 1
Prep time: 15 mins (or 5 mins with hacks)
Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients
• 1 piece salmon, skinless
• 1 serving rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and julienned
• 1/2 cup cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• Mint leaves, to preference
• 1 Tbsp peanuts, crushed
Optional:
2 lime wedges,
2 Tbsp chili sauce
Pro-Tip: Low-Energy Shortcuts
• Swap the fresh carrot, cabbage, and cucumber for a handful of pre-shredded coleslaw mix or bagged salad.
• Use bottled minced garlic and ginger to save on peeling and chopping.
• Buy pre-crushed peanuts or omit them if the extra step feels like too much.
Sauce and Dressing
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 50ml water (reserved for dressing)
Recipe swaps
For a Lower Carb Diabetic Friendly Option: Replace the noodles with Shirataki (Konjac) noodles. These are virtually carb-free and have a similar translucent appearance. Just be sure to rinse them well and pan-fry them for a few minutes to remove excess moisture before adding your sauce. Not a fan of Konjac? Try Bean Glass Noodles, they’re low GI, more filling and should be ok for most diabetics.
Method
• Cook noodles in a saucepan of boiling water for 3–5 minutes or until tender. Refresh under cold water and drain well.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger (do not add the water yet).
• Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the salmon for 3 minutes on one side. Turn and cook for another 2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
• Reduce the heat to low. Pour half of the sauce into the pan to thicken and glaze the salmon. Making sure to cook off the garlic and simmering until the glaze is thick and sticky. This allows it to coat the salmon in a glaze crust. Transfer the salmon to a plate, ensuring you pour over the glaze from the pan.
• Assemble the plate by layering the noodles, vegetables, mint, and peanuts. Top with the glazed salmon.
• Add the 50ml of water to the remaining half of the sauce. Mix well and pour over the entire dish as a dressing.
• Serve with lime wedges and chilli sauce if desired.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. If you make it, please leave a comment to let me know what you think.
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Enjoy! Mx