
Chilli caramel salmon salad is a fantastic salad for a summer menu. Fresh, crunchy, healthy salad with steamed salmon and a knockout Vietnamese dressing with garlic, chilli and fresh lime. What’s not to like? This clean and zingy salad completely delivers for a summer luncheon menu that is refreshing, tasty and packed with bold Asian flavours. Our delicious and cooling pineapple mint and chilli sorbet would be a perfect dessert to finish the meal.
We’ve travelled to beautiful Vietnam twice and have eaten delicious food. Each time we come away we are inspired by being introduced to fabulous flavour combinations. Vietnamese food on the whole is fresh, clean and vibrant. Making use of plenty of fresh herbs, a lot of raw or steamed vegetables and minimal use of dairy and oil. This chilli caramel salmon salad epitomises this cuisine.
Chilli caramel sauce
Chilli caramel salmon sauce is a cornerstone of Vietnamese cooking. Adding the fish sauce and lime in particular, after the caramel has cooled adds a real freshness. Reducing the caramel until it is syrupy is what you are looking for.
Swap out the salmon
Ring the changes for this chilli caramel salmon salad by replacing the salmon with poached chicken, prawns, scallops or crunchy roasted pork belly.
Salad ingredients
Chilli caramel salmon salad is very flexible with what goes into it. Fruit or vegetable that could be used include:
- shallots
- zucchini ribbons
- asparagus,
- beansprouts
- grapefruit
- mango
- broccoli
The list goes on, just think of what makes for colourful, crunchy combinations.
Check out some more delicious recipe winners salads
- quick tuna and cannellini bean salad – GF
- thai chicken larb salad – GF
- prawn pesto and chargrilled capsicum pasta
- haloumi fries with roasted garlic anchovy and caper sauce – GF
- pineapple, mint and chilli sorbet – GF
We would love to know your thoughts on this fabulous fresh salad. Leave a comment below and let us know!

Chilli Caramel Salmon Salad
Fresh, crunchy, healthy steamed salmon and a knockout Vietnamese dressing with garlic, chilli and fresh lime. What's not to like?
Ingredients
Chilli caramel dressing
- cold water 1 cup
- soft brown sugar 1/2 cup
- rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar) 1/4 cup
- garlic 3 cloves thinly sliced
- chilli flakes 1/2 teaspoon
- fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons
- fish sauce 2 teaspoons
Salad
- fresh salmon 2 pieces (1 lb or 500 g)
- napa cabbage (wombok) 1/4 of large thinly sliced
- carrot 1 medium julienne
- lebanese cucumbers 2 cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- navel oranges 2 large cut into filets
- red onion 1 small halved and thinly sliced
- handful of fresh mint leaves
- handful of fresh coriander leaves
- fried shallots 2 tablespoons
Instructions
chilli caramel dressing
- combine water, sugar, vinegar, garlic and chilli in a small saucepan
- bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer
- simmer sauce for 10 minutes or until slightly syrupy
- remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool
- when cool add lime juice and fish sauce
- stir and dressing is ready to use
salad
- steam salmon for 10 minutes or until cooked through - see notes
- allow salmon to cool at room temperature
- when salmon is cool gently flake into pieces
- put all salad ingredients into a bowl and toss well
- add salmon pieces
- pour 1/2 cup or more of dressing over salad
- gently toss the whole salad using your hands
- sprinkle fried onion over salad
- serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Salmon thickness varies. Steam salmon till just cooked as the residual heat continues to cook the salmon.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 766Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 92mgSodium 368mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 5gSugar 29gProtein 35g
Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.