Thai-style Raw Fish Sashimi Salad with Spicy Fish Sauce Dressing

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This sashimi salad is a flavor explosion to wow any raw fish or sashimi lover.

If you are looking for something different than the typical sashimi and soy sauce pairing, you will definitely love this recipe.

Salmon and yellowtail (hamachi) sashimi with sea grapes — Salmon and yellowtail (hamachi) sashimi

This recipe features a Thai-style or southeast Asian-style fish sauce dressing with a delicate balance of sweet, sour, savory, and spicy flavors.

Enjoy the sashimi alone or transform it into a hearty salad by adding your favorite vegetables and toppings.

This elegant yet effortless appetizer is ready in just 15 minutes.

Dressing ingredients: fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, garlic, chili peppers and cilantro — Dressing ingredients: fish sauce, palm sugar, lime, garlic, chili peppers and cilantro

What is Sashimi?

Sashimi is raw fish cut into slices. Sashimi-grade fish means that the fish is safe to eat raw.

You can find find sashimi-grade fish either pre-sliced and ready to eat, or in a block that you can take home and slice yourself. The latter option is preferred as it’s less prone to oxidation and therefore stays fresh longer.

You can find sashimi-grade fish at Asian supermarkets, if you’re lucky.

If you're on the Sacramento area, I get my sashimi from KP International Market in Rancho Cordova, and Oto's Marketplace and Sunh Fish in South Sacramento.

Common Seafood for Sashimi

Common types of fish and seafood to use in sashimi salad include:

Salmon — Salmon is one of the most popular choices for sashimi and my absolute favorite. Salmon is a fatty fish, so it’s rich and buttery, and easy to eat.
Bluefin tuna
Red snapper
Yellowtail
Scallops
Squid
Sweet shrimp

whole fresh daikon — Daikon — it goes wonderfully with sashimi

Julienned daikon makes it easier to eat with great texture

Make a Sashimi Salad

When sashimi-grade fish or seafood is mixed together with vegetables, and tossed in a dressing, you have a sashimi salad.

Popular vegetables to include in a sashimi salad are:

Daikon
Lettuce
Avocado
Cucumber
Cilantro or green onions
Microgreens — my favorite is broccoli sprouts. I’m not a big fan of radish sprouts as they are too overpowering.

Other popular additions for added textures:

Crispy salmon skin
Seaweed salad — Also known as wakame, this salad is already seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. You can get this prepared in stores in the refrigerated or freezer aisle that sell sushi products.
Masago — A type of fish roe, or eggs, masago is known for its bright orange color, tiny size, and crunchy texture.
Crispy fried noodles or wonton strips
Sea grapes — Sea grapes are tiny green algae balls that grow in clusters on thin stems. They have a light, salty and fishy taste with a nice crunch. You can find them in the refrigerated section of some Asian grocery stores, usually packed in pouches like tea bags. To prepare them, soak them in cold water for a few minutes. Pro tip: serve them on the side to avoid them from shrinking again when mixed with salty dressings.

Fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, red Thai chili pepper, and garlic — Fish sauce, palm sugar, lime, red Thai chili pepper, and garlic

What You Need for the Dressing

Once you select your favorite sashimi and vegetables, here’s what you need for the dressing:

Fish sauce — Fish sauce is the main seasoning ingredient that provides the salty umami flavor.

Fresh lime juice — Adds tartness.

Garlic — Adds a pungent garlicky flavor that we all love.

Red Thai chili pepper — Provides a spicy kick. You can omit if you don’t like spicy.

Palm sugar — Palm sugar provides a different type of sweetness that balances the sour and spicy flavors.

Cilantro — Fresh and aromatic herb that complements the other ingredients. You can also omit if you are not a fan.

How to Make it

Step 1: Prep the Sashimi

Wash the fish. It is best to run your cut of fish under cold water and then pat it dry. With raw fish, there is no heat involved to kill bacteria, so it’s important make sure your knife and surfaces are sanitary.

Slice the fish into bite-size rectangular pieces against the grain with only one stroke of the knife, if possible. A very sharp knife will help ensure the cleanest cut.

Step 2: Prep the Vegetables

Wash your choice of vegetables. Peel any hard vegetables such as daikon and use a julienne peeler to get thin strips.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

Mix together fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, garlic, chili peppers, and cilantro until sugar has completely dissolved.

Step 4: Serve

Toss the dressing with the sashimi, add as much or as little as you like. Prepare your vegetables and add marinated fish on top and enjoy. Alternatively, you can serve sauce on the side for dipping.