Looking for a quick lunch idea? Try my Vietnamese-Inspired Salmon Salad. Perfect for anyone who loves the taste of Goi Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad) but wants to mix it up.
I always keep salmon on hand for easy dinners (we eat a lot of roasted or sautéed salmon with asparagus in our house), and I use the leftover salmon to mix with my favorite salad greens or vegetables. This is one of my favorite lunches when I’m craving fish.
I realized that the photos don’t capture how delicious this salad is, but you’ll just have to trust me 🙂
The magic is in the fish sauce dressing, which uses two types of sugar (brown and white) for a taste that’s similar to palm sugar. I didn’t use any red chilis, but you should if you like spice. I just didn’t have any on hand!
Enjoy and I hope you love it as much as I do!

Vietnamese-Inspired Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 salmon fillets
- salt and pepper, to taste
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Salad
- Any salad greens (lettuce, spinach, a mix)
- Vegetables, sliced thinly (any variety)
Instructions
Pan Fry Your Salmon
- Dry salmon fillets with a paper towel. Season all over with salt and pepper, to taste. (Add any other spices you'd like. Lemon herb seasoning is quite nice.)Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet until hot. Sear salmon for 2-3 minutes, pressing down so the entire flesh comes into contact with the hot pan. Flip and cook the other side until another 2 minutes. Check for doneness by using a fork and splitting it in half. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Make the Vinaigrette
- Combine the fish sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, white sugar, and garlic and mix until well-blended and the sugar has dissolved. Taste. If you want it more sweet, add more sugar. For more tart, add more vinegar.
Make Your Salad
- Add lettuce/spinach/any greens you want to a salad bowl. Top with sliced vegetables (like cucumber, sliced bell pepper, etc.) Break the salmon in pieces and place on top.Drizzle the vinaigrette on top and enjoy.



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