Salmon Rice Bowl

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

Flaked roasted salmon over jasmine rice with cucumber, carrot, avocado, nori, and a tamari-ginger drizzle.

Prep 10 min

Cook 20 min

Serves 2

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

Salmon

• 2 salmon fillets (about 5 to 6 oz / 140 to 170 g each), skin on or off
• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Bowls

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice (1 cup per serving)
• 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced or diced
• 1 medium carrot, grated or cut into matchsticks
• 1/4 medium avocado, sliced (~15 g per bowl, 30 g total)
• 1 sheet nori, cut into thin strips with scissors
• 2 tablespoons scallion greens, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds or furikake (check the label)

Drizzle

• 6 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (2 tablespoons per serving, plus extra for the side)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
• Pinch of red pepper flakes or a few drops of chili oil (optional)

Instructions

Start the Rice and Heat the Oven

1. Cook 1 cup dry jasmine rice according to package directions (usually 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water, 15 minutes covered, 10 minutes off the heat). This yields about 3 cups cooked — you'll use 2 cups and save the rest.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a small sheet pan with parchment.

Roast the Salmon

1. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Rub each fillet with garlic-infused oil on all sides and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place the fillets skin-side down on the sheet pan and roast for 10 to 14 minutes depending on thickness, until the thickest part flakes with a fork. Aim for 135 to 145°F (57 to 63°C) — 145°F (63°C) is the USDA food-safe target; lower targets give a moister texture if you're comfortable with that.
3. Let the salmon rest for 2 minutes, then break into large flakes with a fork. Discard the skin if you prefer.

Whisk the Drizzle

1. Combine the tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, grated ginger, and pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk until the maple dissolves.

Assemble the Bowls

1. Divide the warm jasmine rice between two bowls, about 1 cup per bowl.
2. Arrange the cucumber, carrot, and avocado in neat piles on top of the rice.
3. Top with flaked salmon.
4. Scatter nori strips, scallion greens, and sesame seeds or furikake across the bowl.
5. Spoon 2 tablespoons of drizzle over each bowl. Serve the rest on the side for dipping.

Tips & Substitutions

• Swap proteins. Firm or extra-firm tofu (pressed and cubed, pan-fried in garlic-infused oil) works well for a vegetarian bowl — check the Monash app for current low-FODMAP serve sizes, typically around 170 g per serving. Tuna steak and cooked shrimp are both low-FODMAP at typical serves. Canned tuna or salmon in water is fine — drain before flaking.
• Keep avocado to 1/8 per serving. Avocado is low-FODMAP at 30 g (about 2 tablespoons, or 1/8 of a medium fruit). More than that can turn it moderate-FODMAP for sorbitol. Stick to thin slices.
• Check your furikake. Most commercial furikake blends (sesame, nori, bonito flakes, sugar, salt) are fine, but a few add onion powder or garlic powder. Read the ingredient list. Bonito flakes themselves are low-FODMAP.
• Skip the sriracha. Huy Fong and most other sriracha brands contain garlic. Use chili oil (check for garlic on the label), red pepper flakes, or a dab of wasabi paste instead.
• Eat it cold or warm. The bowl works straight out of the oven or prepped ahead and eaten cold. If prepping ahead, keep the drizzle, avocado, and nori separate and combine at serving time so the nori stays crisp.
• Use brown rice or quinoa. Both are low-FODMAP at 1 cup cooked. Jasmine rice is usually easier on sensitive stomachs, but brown rice adds fiber and quinoa adds plant protein.

Why This Works

Plain salmon has no FODMAPs. Plain fish, poultry, and meat are all free of FODMAPs. FODMAPs usually come from the marinades, glazes, and sauces. Keeping the drizzle homemade with tamari, ginger, and sesame oil keeps garlic and onion out of the bowl, which is the usual problem with bottled teriyaki and poke sauces.

Tamari instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce is brewed with wheat. Gluten-free tamari is made from soybeans without wheat and is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons per serve. The drizzle portions 2 tablespoons per bowl, which sits right at Monash's serving range — check the label to make sure your tamari doesn't include inulin or added sweeteners.

Serving sizes stay inside Monash ranges. Jasmine rice (1 cup cooked per serving), cucumber, carrot, nori, and scallion greens are all low-FODMAP at the portions used here. Avocado is the one watch-out — 1/8 of a medium fruit per bowl keeps sorbitol low.

Garlic-infused oil adds garlic flavor. Garlic's fructans don't dissolve in oil, so garlic-infused olive oil gives the salmon a roasted-garlic finish without the FODMAPs.

Storage

Refrigerate components separately in sealed containers for 2 to 3 days. The salmon, rice, and vegetables keep well; avocado and nori are best added fresh at serving time. The drizzle holds for up to a week in the fridge. Not recommended for freezing — the cucumber and avocado turn watery on the thaw.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.