Picnic Recipe: Fresh & Flavorful Salmon Cucumber Onigiri (Rice Ball)
These salmon cucumber onigiri are deliciously flavorful rice balls, filled with tender baked salmon and refreshing, crisp cucumber, all wrapped in a savory strip of seaweed. Ready to pack them in your picnic basket for your next outdoor feast?
The taste of Spring harvest @ Montreal
5/20/2025
Servings: 6 Portions
INGREDIENTS
300g fresh, skinless salmon fillet, pin-boned
3 Lebanese cucumbers (approximately 210g), finely diced approximately 0.5cm x 0.5cm cubes
1 cup sushi rice
1 ¼ cups water (adjust according to your rice type - check package instructions)
3 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt, for seasoning rice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ sheets nori (sushi seaweed), each sheet cut into 4 even strips (total of 6 strips)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook and Prepare the Sushi Rice:
Cook the sushi rice in your rice cooker according to its instructions.
Once the rice is cooked, gently transfer it to a large bowl.
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the warm rice.
Using a rice paddle or a wooden spoon, carefully mix the vinegar and salt into the rice with a gentle slicing motion. This helps to avoid crushing the grains.
Cover the rice with a clean, damp cloth to prevent it from drying out and let it cool to lukewarm.
2. Prepare the Salmon and Cucumber:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towels.
Season all sides of the salmon with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Once cooked, remove the salmon from the oven and let it cool completely. Then, flake or chop it into small chunks, about the same size as your diced cucumber (approximately 0.5cm x 0.5cm).
Wash the Lebanese cucumbers thoroughly and dice them into small cubes (approximately 0.5cm x 0.5cm).
3. Combine Salmon, Cucumber, and Rice:
Gently add the cooled salmon chunks and diced cucumber to the lukewarm sushi rice.
Carefully mix everything together until the salmon and cucumber are evenly distributed throughout the rice.
4. Shape the Rice Balls (Onigiri):
Take a handful of the rice mixture and firmly press it together.
Use an onigiri mold or your hands to shape the rice into triangles or rounds.
Take one of your nori (seaweed) strips and wrap it around the base of the shaped rice ball. The seaweed should stick to the slightly moist rice.
And there you have it! Delicious, portable Salmon Cucumber Onigiri ready for your next picnic adventure!
