Salmon Buddha Bowl

Why you'll love this recipe

• Buddha bowls are filled with nutrients such as protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
• It’s super easy and quick to make – bake the salmon, cook brown rice and whip up the dressing at the same time and you’ll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
• This bowl is great if you’re craving sushi but don’t have time to make it (or carry out).
• It looks and tastes amazing!
• Better than take out - perfect when you crave a poke bowl or sushi!
• Easily customizable – use what you like, skip or swap out ingredients as you wish.
• If you like the idea of flavorful grain bowls, you may also like this Quinoa Poke Bowl made with ahi tuna or this Shrimp Poke Bowl.

What is furikake?

Furikake is basically magic Japanese flavor sprinkles. Made with sesame seeds, roasted seaweed, salt, herbs and sometimes fish flakes. This amazing nutty, salty and savory seasoning is served with steamed rice or sprinkled on anything for a wonderful flavor and nutrition boost.  

If you're wondering where else you would use furikake, try it on eggs or rice! Or, make my amazing Salmon Sushi Bake recipe which uses this seasoning.

How to make baked furikake salmon

You will only need 2 ingredients: fresh salmon and Furikake seasoning. Simply cut the salmon fillet into 3-4 equally sized pieces, place on a parchment paper lined baking dish, sprinkle with seasoning and bake for about 20 minutes in the oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredient notes

• Baked Salmon: use one portion of Furikake salmon per bowl. You can also use “naked” salmon, baked with some salt and pepper.
• Salad Greens: spring mix, spinach, arugula or baby kale will all work.
• Cooked Brown Rice: healthier than white rice, brown rice is filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals. It has a nice nutty flavor.
• Carrots & Cucumbers: for a nice crunch and your daily serving of veggies! Radishes and bell peppers are also great in this bowl.
• Avocado: a source of unparalleled creaminess, healthy fat and fiber.
• Seaweed Snacks: also known as nori snacks, they are made of roasted seaweed and sold plain or seasoned cut into small rectangles.

Honey ginger dressing

This dressing is seriously yummy and packed with great flavors. Here’s what you will need to make it:

• Soy Sauce: I like to use low-sodium soy sauce. Replace it with tamari for a gluten-free option.
• Honey: the runny kind will work best.
• Ginger & Garlic: grated or minced fresh ginger and garlic will work best but if you don’t have any, replace it with ½-1 teaspoon of dried ginger and garlic each.
• Shallot: chop it very small since it’s part of the dressing.
• Oil: I use avocado oil but any mild-tasing oil will work. Feel free to swap it for canola, vegetable or sunflower oil.

Whisk all dressing ingredients in a bowl or pour into a small mason jar and shake vigorously. Set aside.

Tips for assembling Buddha bowls 

Buddha or macro bowls are such an easy and versatile dinner. I absolutely love making them and we eat a bowl of some sort at least once a week. If you are looking in other bowl ideas, try my vegan Cauliflower Shawarma Bowl with Tahini Dressing, Shrimp Fajita Quinoa Bowl or an all-time favorite: Egg Roll in a Bowl with ground chicken. 

Here are some tips for assembling Buddha Bowls:

• For the best presentation use bowls that are shallow and wide. Here are my favorite bowls from Target. 
• Cook the rice ahead of time. Brown rice takes 30 minutes to boil or steam so it's a good idea to make it earlier and have on hand in the fridge when ready to use.
• The dressing can be made earlier, too, and stored in an airtight container for a couple days in the fridge. Bring back to room temperature before dressing the bowl.
• Use a julienne peeler or regular potato peeler to shred carrots and cucumbers into long strips. 

Substitutions and variations

The beauty of a Buddha bowl is that it is super versatile and easily customizable. Here are some suggestions on how you can make it your own:

• Brown rice can be swapped for sushi rice, regular white rice, quinoa or another grain of your choice.
• For a lower carb version, replace rice with steamed cauliflower rice.
• If rice or quinoa are nor your thing, you can also use rice or soba noodles.
• Use whatever veggies you like: carrots, cucumbers, radishes or bell peppers are all great choices. I like to julienne my veggies (this julienne peeler makes this task easy).
• There are many options for greens in this bowl. I like a spring mix or a combo of arugula and spinach but baby kale, baby spinach or any salad mix will work.
• Salmon can be swapped for tuna or tofu. Use Furikake seasoning as you would use it on salmon.
• You can skip seaweed snacks if you don’t have any though I highly recommend giving them a try in this recipe. They give it a nice sushi-like flavor and texture.
• If you have a tried and true store bought Asian salad dressing that you love, feel free to use it. I believe that homemade dressings are always best but I also love shortcuts when you have no time.

More healthy dinners to try

Kale and Barley Salad Bowls with Salmon
Shrimp Fajita Quinoa Bowl
Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta
Peach, Bacon and Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese
Chicken Caprese Sheet Pan
Creamy Coconut Tomato Shrimp

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