easy 30 minute meal: Thai Salmon Cakes with Rainbow Crunch Salad
These vibrant Thai salmon cakes are quick to make and packed with fresh flavour. Fragrant with lime, lemongrass and Thai red curry paste, they pair beautifully with a bright, crunchy salad that adds colour and texture to the plate. Ready in around 30 minutes, they make a satisfying midweek supper that feels both nourishing and fresh. The salmon mixture comes together quickly in a food processor, while the crisp salad provides the perfect contrast to the warm, golden fish cakes. Serve straight from the pan with plenty of the zingy dressing spooned over the salad.
Serves 4 | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the salmon cakes
500g fresh salmon fillets, skin removed
1 egg
½ bunch spring onions, roughly chopped, including the green tops
2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp lemongrass paste
Zest of 1 lime and juice of ½ lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1–2 tbsp coconut flour or gram flour, if needed
Olive oil, for frying
For the rainbow crunch salad
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
½ red pepper, finely sliced
¼ red cabbage, finely shredded
½ cucumber, peeled into ribbons
100g edamame beans
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
A handful of fresh mint leaves
A handful of fresh coriander
A drizzle of coriander oil (optional)
For the dressing
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp tamari
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp olive oil
Method
Place the salmon, egg, spring onions, Thai red curry paste, lemongrass paste, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and seasoning into a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture just comes together. Avoid over-blending. The texture should remain slightly chunky rather than completely smooth.
If the mixture feels too wet to shape, add a tablespoon or two of coconut flour or gram flour to help bind it.
Divide the mixture into eight patties and place them on a tray. Chill in the fridge for around 10 to 15 minutes so they firm up slightly before cooking.
Heat a little olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the fish cakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
While the salmon cakes cook, prepare the salad. Place the carrot ribbons, red pepper, cabbage, cucumber, edamame, pumpkin seeds, mint and coriander into a large bowl and toss together.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a small jug and drizzle over the salad just before serving.
Place two salmon cakes on each plate alongside a generous portion of salad.
M+ Tips to Adapt for Children
Keep flavours gentle
If cooking for younger children, reduce the Thai red curry paste slightly for a milder flavour.
Let them build their own plate
Serve the salad components separately and let children pick what they like.
Swap the salad if needed
Steamed rice, noodles or simple cucumber ribbons work well for fussier eaters.
The Anti-Inflammatory 30-day Reset by Sophie Richards
Written by Sophie Richards, a certified hormonal health practitioner and women’s health advocate, The Anti-Inflammatory 30-Day Reset offers a calm, food-led introduction to anti-inflammatory eating, shaped by her own experience of managing chronic pain and digestive issues.
Rather than a rigid plan, it presents a flexible 30-day framework of flavourful recipes and gentle lifestyle habits designed to support energy, digestion and overall wellbeing, making it ideal for anyone curious about anti-inflammatory eating who wants something realistic, reassuring and sustainable beyond the month.