Shaken Cucumber Salmon Salad with Salsa Macha

The recipe video is at the bottom of the post if you want to see how we made it. If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment and let us know what you think. You can also subscribe for more recipes and share this one with someone who might want to try it.

This meal is perfect for me right now. I've been counting my calories and paying closer attention to what I'm eating because I have a few big events coming up at the end of the year and I'm working toward losing some weight before then.

That doesn't mean I want to eat boring food.

I've been looking for meals that have plenty of protein and fresh ingredients but still have enough flavor to actually make me look forward to eating them. This cucumber salmon salad checks those boxes for me.

You get warm air fried or baked salmon, lots of cold cucumber, avocado, edamame, and a creamy sriracha dressing, all shaken together with Jenny Food's No Tan Salsa Macha.

We use the Salsa No Tan Macha two ways in this recipe. The first tablespoon goes directly into the container before shaking so the salsa macha and its oil mix with the creamy dressing and coat everything. Then we add another spoonful after shaking for some extra crunch and chile flavor on top.

Ingredients

For the Salmon

You can make the salmon using the seasoning below, use your own salmon recipe, or use a pre marinated salmon for a quick and easy meal.

For this recipe, we also like Copper River Wild Alaska Marinated Salmon, which we purchased at Costco and used for the video.

• 2 salmon fillets, about 5–6 oz each
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Black pepper, to taste

If you're using pre-marinated salmon, you can skip the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, and black pepper and cook according to the package directions.

For the Cucumber Salad

• 2 large English cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• ¾ cup shelled edamame, cooked
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Salt, to taste
• 1–2 teaspoons sesame seeds

For the Creamy Sriracha Dressing

• 5–6 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

For Shaking

• 1 tablespoon Jenny Food's No Tan Salsa Macha

After Shaking

• 1–2 tablespoons Jenny Food's No Tan Salsa Macha, for extra crunch and flavor on top of your serving.

Instructions

1. Prepare the cucumber and onion

Thinly slice the cucumbers and dice the red onion.

Add them directly to a large container with a secure lid.

That's it.

2. Air fry the salmon

If you're making the salmon from scratch, pat the salmon dry.

Combine the soy sauce and sesame oil and brush the mixture over the salmon. Season with garlic powder and black pepper.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F if needed.

Air fry the salmon at 400°F for approximately 7–10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and your air fryer.

The salmon should reach an internal temperature of 145°F at the thickest part.

Remove the salmon from the air fryer and let it rest for a couple of minutes before breaking it into large chunks.

Try not to break the salmon too small. Larger pieces hold together better once the salad is shaken.

If you're using the Copper River Wild Alaska Marinated Salmon or another pre marinated salmon, cook according to the package directions.

3. Make the creamy sriracha dressing

Add the Kewpie mayonnaise, sriracha, low-sodium soy sauce, and rice vinegar to a small bowl.

Whisk until smooth.

We're skipping the olive oil that you might normally add to a dressing like this. The No Tan Salsa Macha already contains oil, and once everything is shaken together, that oil mixes with the Kewpie, soy sauce, sriracha, and rice vinegar to help coat the entire salad. Adding more oil isn't necessary here.

4. Build the salad

To the container with the cucumber and red onion, add the cooked edamame, avocado, green onions, and salmon.

Pour the creamy sriracha dressing over everything.

Season with salt to taste.

Add 1 tablespoon of Jenny Food's No Tan Salsa Macha directly to the salad.

5. Shake

Secure the lid tightly.

Now shake.

Give the container several good shakes to distribute the creamy dressing and salsa macha throughout the salad.

You want enough movement to coat everything without completely breaking apart the salmon and avocado.

Using a large container helps. Leaving some empty space gives all of the ingredients room to move around while you shake.

Open the container and check the coating. Give it another shake if needed.

6. Finish with more Salsa Macha

Transfer the salad into two bowls.

Finish each serving with sesame seeds, additional green onion if you'd like, and another 1–2 tablespoons of No Tan Salsa Macha.

Adding some salsa macha after shaking gives you more of its original texture and crunch instead of mixing all of it into the creamy dressing.

How to Serve It

We like serving this salad immediately after shaking so the cucumber stays cold and crunchy while the salmon is still slightly warm.

It’s filling enough to eat on its own, especially with the salmon, edamame, and avocado. If you want to make the meal a little more substantial, serve it with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, roasted vegetables, or a simple miso soup. You can also serve it with lettuce cups for something fresh and crunchy.

For the best bite, get some salmon, cucumber, avocado, and edamame together. The cucumber brings the crunch, the avocado and Kewpie make everything creamy, the rice vinegar adds acidity, and the Salsa No Tan Macha adds chile flavor and another layer of texture.

If you want more heat, you can substitute Extra Hot Salsa Macha for the No Tan Macha and reduce or leave out the sriracha.

Why Salsa Macha Works in This Salad

Jenny Food's Salsa No Tan Macha doesn't have to be used only as a finishing topping.

For this recipe, we're actually doing both.

Shaking the first tablespoon directly into the salad allows the salsa macha and its chile infused oil to combine with the creamy sriracha dressing. That helps spread the flavor across the cucumber, salmon, avocado, and edamame.

Then adding another spoonful after shaking gives you some of the texture and crunch of the salsa macha in the finished bowl.

The Salsa No Tan Macha also works well here because the sriracha already brings some heat to the dressing. If you prefer things spicier, use Extra Hot Salsa Macha and adjust the sriracha to taste.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 7–10 minutes
Total time: About 25 minutes
Serves: 2

BBWBCO Tip: Add the salsa macha twice. Shake the first spoonful into the salad so its chile flavor and oil become part of the dressing, then add another spoonful after shaking to keep some of that salsa macha crunch in the finished bowl.

Fresh cucumber, air fried or baked salmon, creamy sriracha dressing, and salsa macha. Put it all in a container, close the lid, and shake it up.

https://youtube.com/shorts/BKnKYWZ8bUM?si=92RBbxr6RINrcDio