Vietnamese inspired spring rolls with air fried salmon and peanut sauce that makes a perfect on-the-go lunch.
An Easy and Delicious Lunch
I was tired of eating a bag of chips, a sandwich, or a protein bar for lunch whenever I didn’t have time to eat. Between classes I only have about 10 minutes so I needed to make something easy to pack and eat while walking.
This is the perfect recipe for anyone with a tight schedule and has tons of proteins, healthy fats, and nutrients from the fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- Salmon filet – I used about half a pound of salmon. Make sure to either purchase skinless salmon or remove the skin beforehand
- Rice paper wrappers – You can find these in the Asian aisle of your local grocery store
- Fresh herbs and vegetables – I used carrots, lettuce, mint, basil, and cilantro but feel free to use any of your choice or none
- Rice noodles – These are optional but are almost always found in spring rolls
- Peanut sauce – Made with peanut butter, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, fish sauce, and lime juice
How to Make the Perfect Air Fryer Salmon
Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF. Slice the salmon into half-inch rectangles, similar to the shape of sashimi. Place your salmon on foil in the air fryer basket.
Season with salt and pepper, ponzu, Japanese mayo, and a squeeze of lemon. Air fry for about 6-9 minutes until the outside is browned.
How to Make Flower Carrots
In this recipe I used a flower shaped carrot cutter which I purchased from Amazon. I sliced the carrot into thin pieces and used the cut out to create the beautiful flower shape.
Order of Fillings Matter
Be sure to place the ‘prettiest’ ingredients at the top of the rice paper wrapper since this is what ends up showing on the outside. To prevent anything from getting soggy, I placed the sauce and rice noodles on the bottom, the vegetables in the middle, and the salmon and carrots on top.
Since I made these for a lunch while walking to school, I actually placed the sauce directly into the wrapper. Make sure to place the sauce at the bottom of the wrapper so it is the first thing that gets rolled up and doesn’t spill over the other fillings.
Fold the sides of the wrapper in then roll from bottom to top
Peanut Sauce Alternative – Spicy Mayo
If you’re allergic or simply don’t enjoy peanut butter, I also made this using spicy mayo and it was just as delicious!
My spicy mayo is made up of
- 4 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayo
- 2-3 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp mirin or sugar
How to Pack
Before placing in your plastic bag or container, make sure to spray or brush a little bit of oil on the outside so the spring rolls don’t stick together and rip.
This step is crucial for packing these for lunch!
Salmon Spring Rolls
Ingredients
For the Spring Roll Fillings
- 1 package Rice Paper Wrappers
- 1 carrot
- ½ bunch mint
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ½ bunch Thai basil
- ½ head lettuce
- ¼ package dried rice noodles
- ½ lb salmon
- 2 tbsp ponzu
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayo
- ½ lemon
For the Peanut Sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3-4 tbsp warm water
- ¼ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
Cook the Salmon
- Remove the skin of the salmon filet. Slice into thin, sashimi-like pieces about ½ inch thick
- Salt and pepper the salmon
- Add ponzu, Japanese mayo, and the juice of the lemon over the salmon
- Air fry at 400ºF for 6-9 minutes until browned.
Prepare the Vegetables and Rice Noodles
- Slice carrots into thin pieces. I made flower cut outs but you can also slice them into thin strips.
- Cut off the core of the lettuce head and separate the leaves.
- Cook rice noodles per instructions on the package. I cooked mine in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until soft.
To Make the Peanut Sauce
- Mix together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, minced garlic, lime juice, and warm water.
