Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

Published: by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 15 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

If you like the flavors of sushi, you are going to love this sushi salad! A wasabi soy dressing tops arugula, smoked salmon and pickled ginger for a fantastic meal.
Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (1)

Sushi salad could have saved me a lot (!) of money over the years. I am an unabashed lover of “all things” sushi. For better or worse, I passed on this trait to my two boys, which means regular cravings for rolls, nigiri and poke bowls.

If I had unlimited funds, there would be sushi for all, at least one time per week! But let’s be real…given the cost of a really good sushi feast for a family that includes two teenaged boys who can eat their weight in raw fish, it’s often saved for special occasions and birthday dinners.

My challenge? Find a way to satisfy those sushi cravings on a regular basis with items I can find at the grocery store. I decided to come up with a salad that satisfied my taste buds for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant sushi meal. A sushi salad seems like something I can justify eating for lunch or dinner any day of the week.

Easy, delicious and healthy! And most importantly, it satisfies my sushi cravings effortlessly.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2)

Sushi salad basics:

To mimic the flavors of maki rolls, I cut up a sheet of nori, which is the dried seaweed sheet used to make rolls and tossed the pieces into the salad along with pickled ginger, chopped cucumber, brown rice and arugula.

Everything is lightly coated with an easy wasabi soy dressing, made with wasabi paste found in many grocery stores and Asian markets.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (3)

What you need for this sushi salad:

These are the main components needed for this recipe (affiliate links included)…

  • Smoked salmon or alternative: I use lox, but you could also use hot smoked salmon, which is more similar to a grilled salmon fillet. See more chit chat about alternatives in the section below.
  • Cooked brown rice: I prefer brown rice because of its nutty flavor and extra dose of fiber. White rice can be substituted if you prefer.
  • Nori: Nori (seaweed) sheets can be found in the international aisle of many supermarkets, at Asian markets or online.
  • Pickled ginger: This is the ginger that comes on the side when you order any sort of sushi roll in a restaurant. It adds a wonderful layer of acidity and flavor. Leave it out if it’s not your thing. Find it in stores or online.
  • Other vegetables: Cucumber and arugula add crunch and a peppery flavor, respectively, while “up”-ing the nutrients of the salad.
  • The dressing: This ingredients are all common ones, that can be found in most supermarkets (with possible exception of the wasabi paste) or online. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave nectar (or honey), olive oil and sesame oil.
  • Wasabi paste: Wasabi is Japanese horseradish that is served alongside and/or inside maki (rolls) and nigiri (sushi). The more you add to the dressing, the spicier it will be. You can buy tubes of wasabi paste in many grocery stores, Asian markets or online.

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (4)

What can be used in place of smoked salmon?

If you prefer, swap out the smoked salmon and replace it with sushi grade salmon or ahi, like I used in my Avocado Salmon Poke Salad Bowl.

I look for fish that is marked as “sushi grade” to be sure that it’s safe to eat raw. You can ask your local fishmonger for details on the fish they have available.

How can this sushi salad be made vegan?

Yes! Leave out the salmon and replace it with smoked, stir-fried or baked tofu, or tempeh. Smoked tofu can be found in many health food stores.

For the dressing, be sure to use agave rather than honey, as honey is not considered to be vegan.

Is this sushi salad gluten free?

Almost. And it can be made entirely gluten free with one simple swap. Instead of regular soy sauce, which contains wheat, opt for tamari sauce (affiliate).

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (5)

Other healthy Asian-inspired recipes:

Slow Cooker Hoisin Chicken {Cookin' Canuck}
{Cookin' Canuck}
Salmon Rice Bowl {Spice the Plate}
Stir-Fry Broccolini & Shiitake Mushrooms {Jessica Gavin}

Printable Recipe

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (6)

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe

If you like the flavors of sushi, you are going to love this sushi salad! A wasabi soy dressing tops arugula, smoked salmon, pickled ginger and arugula for a fantastic meal. 212 calories and 5 Weight Watchers SP

4.80 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Clean Eating, Seafood Recipes, Sushi Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 211.9kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

The Salad:

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 3 ½ cup arugula
  • 4 ounces smoked salmon chopped
  • 1 ¼ cup chopped English cucumber
  • ¼ cup chopped pickled ginger
  • 1 sheet nori dried seaweed, cut into 1-inch pieces

The dressing:

Instructions

The Salad:

  • In a large bowl, combine the brown rice, arugula, smoked salmon, cucumber, pickled ginger and ¾ of the nori pieces.

  • Pour in the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle the remaining nori pieces over top. Serve.

The Dressing:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, wasabi paste and agave nectar. While whisking, add the olive oil and sesame oil.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 5 (Blue - Freestyle SmartPoints), 5 (Green), 1 (Purple)

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5Cups | Calories: 211.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.8g | Protein: 9.2g | Fat: 5.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.9g | Cholesterol: 6.5mg | Sodium: 920.3mg | Potassium: 188.4mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 7.6g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was first published on October 12, 2015 and updated on October 1, 2020.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Entrees

  • Twice-Baked Ground Turkey Potatoes
  • Poached Fish in Tomato Sauce
  • Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl
  • Baked Herb Lemon Pork Chops

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment

  1. Mario

    Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (12)
    Wow

    Reply

  2. Lance

    Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (13)
    Loved the dressing, didn't make the sushi salad, but use the dressing all the time on other salads!

    Reply

  3. Joanna G.

    Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (14)
    As soon as I saw this, I went straight out to buy the ingredients. So worth it and so good. I'll definitely be making this regularly.

    Reply

  4. Steph @ Steph in Thyme

    What a lovely idea for salad. Love me some sushi, love it even more in salad!

    Reply

  5. ginette

    I made this for supper last night. It was amazing! Let face it , as soon as you bite into your sushi , it falls apart. So this salad tastes just like sushi. Being vegan I swapped the smoked salmon for smoke tofu and used since we love quinoa , I used that instead of the rice. thank you

    Reply

« Older Comments

Sushi Salad with Wasabi Soy Dressing Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Why shouldn't you mix wasabi and soy sauce? ›

Sushi chefs discourage the mixing as creating the concoction taints the soy sauce and ruins both the spiciness and aroma of wasabi. The proper way to enjoy sushi is to apply wasabi onto the fish element of sushi and dip pieces of sushi fish side down into soy sauce to not over-saturate the morsel.

How to use wasabi and soy sauce with sushi? ›

If you want to add wasabi to your rolls, dab a small piece of wasabi on one side of your sushi, then flip it over and dab the other side into your soy sauce. This way, you get the proper balance of all of the flavors at the same time. For ginger, place a piece in your mouth between eating different kinds of sushi.

How do you eat fresh wasabi with sushi? ›

While some diners like to add wasabi to their dish of soy sauce, that's not encouraged in Japan. Each piece of sushi often has a tiny dab of wasabi already on it, added by the sushi chef. If you want to add some extra heat, put a bit of wasabi on the fish directly with your chopsticks.

How to make wasabi paste from powder? ›

To make homemade wasabi paste, all you need to do is mix 3 teaspoons of wasabi powder with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Turn the bowl over for one minute before it's ready to be served. That's the entire recipe! You can make as much or as little as you want, depending on your needs.

Why shouldn't you eat wasabi? ›

But even when one is consuming genuine wasabi, it's not all good news. Zumpano cautions that consuming large amounts of wasabi can irritate one's nose, stomach, or mouth, and increase risk of bleeding or bruising. Therefore, she says one shouldn't eat wasabi if taking blood thinners or within two weeks of any surgery.

Is it rude to mix soy sauce and wasabi? ›

While you may feel tempted to create a bold new flavor, you should NEVER mix wasabi and soy sauce together. Aside from this being considered improper behavior, it ruins the flavors of each one when they're mixed together.

Which side of sushi to dip in soy sauce? ›

“In Japan, you always dip just the fish in the soy sauce, and not the rice. So with nigiri, you pick it up, turn it a bit and dip the side with the fish in the soy sauce. This way, it is never overwhelming, because it won't absorb the soy sauce like rice does.”

What is the correct soy sauce for sushi? ›

When you see soy sauce required in a recipe, the standard to use is dark soy sauce. It's also the traditional soy sauce of choice for dipping sushi in Japanese restaurants.

What is the soy sauce rule in sushi go? ›

If a player has the most (or tied for the most) different colors and has also played a soy sauce card, it is worth 4 points. You may score multiple soy sauce cards in a round. A soy sauce card itself is considered when determining the most different colors.

How much wasabi should you eat with sushi? ›

Take One Bite Of Wasabi And Soy Sauce Together.

You should enjoy the sushi. Too much wasabi can ruin the sushi's taste. To blend the flavors of your sushi, you will need a little bit of wasabi. To add ginger to your sushi and wasabi, you should eat it right after.

What is the green stuff that comes with sushi? ›

Wasabi is the green paste that you will find served with sushi dishes. It is very spicy and should be used lightly. However, it plays a vital role in your meal. Wasabi aids digestion and helps keep the fish safe for eating.

What is the rule for wasabi in sushi go? ›

Wasabi is a special score multiplier card that can only be used on nigiri sushi. When you pick a wasabi card, place it in front of you like any other card. Pass the rest of your hand as you normally would. Then, when you find a nigiri card you like, place it on top of the wasabi for extra points.

What's the difference between wasabi paste and wasabi sauce? ›

One is labeled "wasabi sauce," and it's really a soybean oil mayonnaise made with a "root blend" of horseradish and wasabi. It packs about as much heat as a Dijon mustard. Next is a tube of wasabi paste, and again the ingredients state that it contains both horseradish and wasabi powder.

Is wasabi powder the same as horseradish powder? ›

Is wasabi made from horseradish? Yes—but not the horseradish you're thinking of. Real wasabi is made of "Japanese horseradish", which is the plant known as Wasabia japonica or Eutrema japonicum. This is a totally different plant to European horseradish.

How much wasabi paste is equal to wasabi powder? ›

Mix 2 parts powder with 1 part water to make a paste. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow it to develop its full flavor. The resulting wasabi paste is perfect for sushi or mixing into dipping sauces, salad dressings, or mayonnaise.

Do they mix wasabi and soy sauce in Japan? ›

It won't be considered rude, but most people won't welcome it. And actually, in high-class sushi restaurants in Japan wasabi and soy sauce won't be served separately. The chef will put just the right amount of wasabi between the fish and rice, so there won't be any “mixing” options.

Does soy sauce neutralize wasabi? ›

It has nothing to do with etiquette or anything else - it's that soaking wasabi into the soy sauce removes most of its actual sting when you use it - and the end result is that the two mixed together the wasabi no longer serves the function it's supposed to do (which is to remove any gaminess from the fish).

Does real wasabi dissolve in soy sauce? ›

When you put wasabi in soy sauce, creating wasabi soy sauce, it takes away nice aroma of wasabi because the chemical responsible for wasabi aroma is dissolved into soy sauce. Also, Wasabi is a strong anti-bacterial agent, so it helps to fight against any bacteria or parasites that may come from eating raw fish.

Is it rude to put soy sauce on sushi in Japan? ›

“That's not allowed.” She is quiet for a brief moment and then adds: “But I do it sometimes.” She does however believe that Americans put way too much wasabi and soy sauce on their sushi. “In Japan, you always dip just the fish in the soy sauce, and not the rice.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Last Updated:

Views: 5591

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Birthday: 1993-01-10

Address: Suite 391 6963 Ullrich Shore, Bellefort, WI 01350-7893

Phone: +6806610432415

Job: Dynamic Manufacturing Assistant

Hobby: amateur radio, Taekwondo, Wood carving, Parkour, Skateboarding, Running, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.