Soba Salad with Crispy Salmon Skin
Savory Soba Salad with Crispy Salmon Skin Recipe
Looking for a delicious and wholesome way to enjoy salmon?
This Soba Salad with Crispy Salmon Skin is a flavorful, easy-to-make dish that brings together the best of Japanese-inspired flavors with a satisfying crunch. It’s a family-friendly recipe that even picky eaters will love - especially if they enjoy crispy textures and noodle-based dishes.
Salmon is a nutrient-rich fish packed with omega-3s, making it a great choice for a healthy meal. But don’t toss that skin! In Japanese cuisine, crispy salmon skin is prized for its irresistible crunch and umami-packed flavor, often enjoyed in sushi rolls or grilled dishes. In this recipe, we take that same delicious concept and turn it into a light yet satisfying soba salad, perfect for lunch, dinner, or even meal prep.
With Japanese buckwheat soba noodles, fresh greens, and a savory soy sauce base dressing, this dish is both refreshing and satisfying. Plus, it's quick to put together, making it ideal for busy weeknights or a fun weekend meal with the family. If your kids love noodles (or crispy snacks), they’ll be tempted to pick out the crunchy salmon skin bites right off the top.
Get ready to elevate your salad game with this easy Japanese-inspired salmon and soba recipe that’s as nutritious as it is delicious!
RECIPE
Servings: 3
Time: 30 min
Ingredients:
2 pcs salmon fillet (about 4oz each)
2 servings soba noodles
1 pc cucumber
1/2 pc carrot
1/8 pc medium size daikon
scallions
salt
[Sauce]
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
My Kitchen Tools:
Instructions:
Prepare the Salmon and Skin
Carefully separate the salmon skin from the fillet using a sharp knife. Season them with sprinkles of salt.
Cut the skin into thin strips and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon skin strips on one side, ensuring they are spread out in a single layer.
Wrap the salmon fillets in a parchment paper separately to keep them moist while baking.
Bake both the salmon fillets and the skin at 400ºF (200ºC) for about 20 minutes, or until the salmon is fully cooked and the skin turns crispy and golden brown.
Prepare the Vegetables
While the salmon bakes, thinly slice the cucumber, carrot, and daikon radish into matchstick-sized strips.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the vegetables and let them sit for a few minutes.
Make the Dressing
In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger. Set aside.
Cook the Soba Noodles
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions.
Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water to remove excess starch and prevent sticking.
Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl, combine the cooked soba noodles, prepared vegetables, chopped scallions, and flaked salmon (gently break apart the cooked salmon fillets).
Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
Finish with Crispy Salmon Skin and Garnishes
Top the salad with crispy salmon skin strips, and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
Crispy Salmon Skin:
I had my first encounter with crispy salmon skin during my young age in Japan. To my delight, I discovered that it was incredibly crispy and addictive, providing a delightful contrast to the tender flesh of the fish. In Japanese cuisine, salmon skin is sometimes prepared separately by baking it to perfection, resulting in a mouthwatering delicacy that adds a delicious crunch to various dishes.
What is Soba noodles?
It is a type of traditional Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour.
Buckwheat is a grain-like seed that is ground into a flour to create the base of soba noodles. Authentic soba noodles have a distinct nutty flavor and a slightly chewy texture, making them a popular choice in Japanese cuisine.
They are often enjoyed cold with dipping sauces, or served hot in soups. Soba noodles are not only delicious but also provide several nutritional benefits. They are a good source of fiber, protein, and minerals like manganese, thiamine, and magnesium.
To prepare soba noodles, they are typically boiled in water until they reach the desired level of doneness. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the noodles, so it's essential to follow the instructions on the packaging. After cooking, the noodles are rinsed with cold water to remove excess starch and to cool them down in the case of cold soba preparations. This rinsing step makes a big difference to the soba texture.
