We can’t keep our hands off the Alaska from Scratch cookbook by photographer and food blogger, Maya Wilson. Recipes like this poached halibut in thai curry and the salmon noodle bowl below have slipped seamlessly into our weekly meal cycle. This one packs a punch with a flavorful sauce you’ll want to put on all the veggies, and offers the perfect balance of nutrition and practicality.
On one of our trips to Idaho to visit my wife’s cousins, I was tasked with making dinner for a whole crew of their friends who were coming over. I knew immediately that I would make a version of these noodles, my go-to recipe for satisfying a hungry crowd. That night I used shrimp and chicken thighs as the proteins in the dish and added carrots to the mix of vegetables. Sometimes I use wide rice noodles, other times I use thin rice noodles. This recipe is highly adaptable, so feel free to play around with the proteins and the vegetables in this one, customizing it to your liking. In this version, I’m using seared wild Alaska salmon fillets and crisp green snow peas. It’s the addicting sauce and salty roasted peanuts on top that really make this recipe a tried-and-true crowd-pleaser.
Ginger Peanut Salmon Noodle Bowls
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup water
juice of half a lime
1⁄4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp peanut butter
6 fillets (4–6 oz each) wild Alaska salmon, pin bones and skin removed
14 oz rice noodles
1 Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup snow peas
1⁄2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
1⁄2 cup sliced green onions
1⁄2 cup cilantro, chopped
For serving:
1 lime, cut into wedges
sriracha sauce
Directions:
To make the sauce: In a blender, combine the soy sauce, water, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce and peanut butter. Blend until smooth.
Place the salmon fillets in a resealable plastic bag and pour one-third of the sauce over the salmon to coat. (Reserve the remaining sauce.) Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, begin preparing the rice noodles according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Remove the salmon fillets from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and place them in the hot skillet. Sear for 3 minutes, or until browned on the bottom, and then turn and cook for 2 minutes for medium. Transfer the salmon to a plate and allow to rest. Add the bell pepper and snow peas to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through and tender-crisp. Add the reserved sauce to the skillet and heat through. Add the noodles to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Distribute the noodles and vegetables evenly among 6 serving bowls.
Top each bowl with a salmon fillet. Sprinkle each plate generously with peanuts, green onions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sriracha sauce on the side.
Study up on seven simple and fail-proof ways to prepare wild salmon here.
