This Asian spiced healthy noodles dish is a bowl of nourishment for the soul. Packed with flavor and a good source of omega 3 fat and fiber. It’s so easy and quick to put together. It’s a mid-week go-to when I’m short on time and one that all of my family enjoys.
Healthy Noodles with Asian-Spiced Salmon Ingredients
I go for skinless and boneless salmon fillets for this recipe. They take a shorter time to cook and are easier to handle and eat. I’d only discard the skin anyway as it lends nothing to the dish and just adds calories. Salmon is high in protein, rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and contains a good amount of B Vitamins and Potassium. It’s also loaded with Selenium which has many science-backed health benefits including protection against heart disease, reducing the risk or some cancer and boosting immune system health.
The salmon in this recipe is baked in the oven in an Asian inspired marinade of ginger, garlic, chilli, soy, lime and Chinese 5-spice. The marinade packs a real punch and would overwhelm some more delicate types of fish but the meatiness of the salmon means it can handle these punchy flavours.
The broth that the noodles are cooked in is also created using bold and punchy flavours. Again, noodles are a great carrier of flavour and so won’t be over-powered by the spicy and fragrant aromas of the dish.
Head on over to my blog for more delicious healthy mid-week family meals or if you are feeling inspired to try more tasty and nutritious salmon dishes, why not click the link to try my Quick and Easy Salmon Pasta recipe.
Healthy Noodles with Asian-Spiced Salmon Recipe Variations
Healthy Noodles with Less Chili Heat
If you’re not keen on the heat of fresh chilli then you could use half the quantity of chilli, use a deseeded chilli or leave it out completely. The flavour of the garlic, ginger, soy, lime and Chinese 5-spice creates a deliciously Asian-inspired aroma without the need for chilli.
Replace the Noodles with Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)
For an even healthier way to enjoy the cooked salmon, I can confirm that this recipe tastes just as delicious atop a bed of zucchini noodles. Zucchini noodles contain less calories and are of course egg and gluten-free. Take a look at my Healthy Noodle Zoodles recipe for tips on the best way to cook and prepare them.
Healthy Noodles with Asian-Spiced Salmon Recipe
Healthy Noodles with Salmon
Ingredients
For the marinade and base for the broth
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 red chillies roughly chopped and deseeded for a milder flavour
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp Chinese 5-spice
- For the Broth
- 6 spring onions scallions (trimmed and finely sliced)
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 200 g crunchy vegetables such as mange tout red and yellow peppers, sugar snap peas
- Soy sauce to taste
- 200 g egg noodles
For the Salmon
- 4 skinless and boneless salmon fillets
- 1 lime
To Serve
- 1 lime quartered
- Small bunch of fresh coriander chopped – Opt
Instructions
- First make the marinade by combining the garlic, ginger, chili, soy and Chinese 5-spice in a small food processor and blitz to a very runny paste. Either use immediately or transfer to a glass jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to cook preheat your oven to 200c.
- Place the salmon fillets into a baking dish that is just big enough to fit all of them in. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon (reserve the other half for the flavouring for the broth).
- Squeeze the juice of a lime and a good grinding of salt and black pepper over the salmon fillets. Pop into the preheated hot oven for 12-15 minutes until just cooked.
- For the broth, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the chopped spring onions (scallions) until soft and translucent.
- Add the other half of the marinade and let it sizzle in the pan with the spring onion for a minute or two until the flavours meld together and the garlic, ginger and chilli start to colour slightly.
- Add the stock and bring to the boil.
- Once the stock is boiling add the noodles and cook in the broth according to the packet instructions.
- Add the sliced vegetables about three minutes before the end of the noodle cooking time. The vegetables don’t need to be cooked for very long. It’s really important that the vegetables retain their vibrant colour and a nice crunch.
- Once the noodles are cooked through check the seasoning. You may want to add a squeeze of lime or more soy sauce at this point. You’re looking for a good balance between piquant and slightly sour against the saltiness of the soy.
- Once the salmon is cooked through remove from the oven.
- Ladle the noodles and broth into serving bowls and place a fillet of salmon on top. Drizzle any of the remaining marinade from the dish over the salmon fillets.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges and freshly chopped coriander.
Healthy Noodles with Asian-Spiced Salmon Ingredient Substitutes
This is a firm family favourite in our home but from time to time I like to mix things up a bit and try different ingredients. Here are a few ingredient substitutions that I’ve tried and tested:
Salmon Substitute:
You could easily substitute the salmon for another ‘meaty’ variety of fish. I’ve tried this with large prawns, swordfish and also tuna steak in the past both with great results. I’d certainly recommend opting for a fish with a dense texture as this will carry the flavour well and will also mean the fish stays intact rather than disintegrating once it’s added to the broth.
If you’d prefer not to eat fish or are catering for a fish intolerance you could use the marinade to coat a chicken breast or thigh. Use the marinade to coat the chicken in the same way as it’s used for the salmon and place in the oven on a moderate heat until thoroughly cooked throughout. Serve in the same way by ladling the noodles and broth into bowls and placing slices of the cooked chicken on top.
Noodle Substitute:
The broth tastes delicious on its own making it a very low calorie and tasty accompaniment for the vegetables and salmon so you could omit the noodles altogether.
This recipe calls for egg noodles which typically contain gluten. For a gluten free and egg free alternative, you could easily substitute the egg noodles for soba or rice noodles. Check the label carefully and cook in the broth according to the packet instructions cooking time.
The cooked salmon and broth also taste delicious ladled over freshly cooked fluffy rice. This version is just as hearty and soulful as the version cooked with noodles but ensures the dish is gluten free.
Tips:
If you want to get ahead of the preparation for this recipe you could prepare the marinade and base for the broth in advance. Simply combine the garlic, ginger, chili, soy and Chinese 5-spice in a small food processor and blitz to a very runny paste. Transfer to a glass jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge for a day or so.
