Teriyaki Salmon with Stir-Fried Vegetables & Rice

Ingredients

• Salmon & Teriyaki
• 4 salmon fillets (skin-on) +
  Healthier choice

  Choose wild-caught salmon where budget allows — it has a superior omega-3 to omega-6 ratio compared to farmed. Wild Alaskan (sockeye or king) is the gold standard. If buying farmed, look for ASC-certified.

  Skin-on gives better results in the pan — the skin crisps up and protects the flesh from overcooking.

  ✕ Avoid: pre-marinated or pre-glazed salmon (usually contains seed oils, sugar, and preservatives).
• 3 tbsp soy sauce +
  Healthier choice

  Choose naturally brewed soy sauce (also called "traditionally brewed"). Mass-produced soy sauce uses chemical hydrolysis and often contains added caramel colour and preservatives.

  Best pick: Kikkoman Naturally Brewed is widely available and clean. Tamari is a good wheat-free alternative.

  ✕ Avoid: soy sauce with added caramel colour (E150), glucose syrup, or preservatives. Check the ingredients — it should just be soybeans, wheat, water, and salt.
• 1 tbsp honey +
  Healthier choice

  Raw, unfiltered honey. Commercial "clear" honey is ultra-filtered and heat-treated, destroying enzymes, antioxidants, and antimicrobial compounds. Raw retains natural prebiotics and has a lower glycaemic impact.

  Look for: opaque/cloudy appearance, "raw" and "unfiltered" on the label. Local from a beekeeper or farmers' market is ideal.

  ✕ Avoid: "honey blend" (often bulked with rice or corn syrup), clear commercial honey, squeezy bottles without "raw" on the label.
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ tbsp olive oil +
  Healthier choice

  Choose extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed. EVOO retains polyphenols and antioxidants lost in refined oils. Quality EVOO is stable at oven temperatures up to 240°C — the low smoke point myth has been debunked by peer-reviewed research.

  Look for: a harvest date within 12–18 months, single-origin, and dark glass packaging.

  Best pick: Greek Koroneiki, Spanish Picual, or Italian Coratina — all high in polyphenols.

  ✕ Avoid: "light" olive oil (refined), "olive oil blend" (seed oil mix), clear plastic bottles, and all vegetable/seed oils.
• Vegetables
• 2 heads pak choi, quartered
• 200g tenderstem broccoli
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• Carbs
• 300g rice (dry weight)

Method

1. Cook the rice according to pack instructions.

2. Mix the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, grated ginger, and minced garlic in a small bowl. This is your teriyaki glaze.

3. Pat the salmon dry. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin-side down and cook for 4 minutes until the skin is crispy.

   💡 Don't touch the salmon for the first 4 minutes. Crispy skin needs uninterrupted contact with the hot pan.
4. Flip the salmon, pour the teriyaki glaze over and around the fillets, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, spooning the glaze over as it thickens. Remove the salmon and set aside.

5. In the same pan, add half a tablespoon of olive oil and stir-fry the broccoli, pak choi, and red pepper for 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp. Serve over rice with the salmon on top and any remaining glaze drizzled over.

Nutrition  per serving