Salmon Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber, Jicama, and Ginger

Fresh and healthy lettuce wrap with poached salmon, cucumber jicama, and ginger.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 23, 2022
Elise Bauer
Salmon Lettuce Wraps
Elise Bauer

School is out, summer is here, and potluck season has commenced. That said, one cannot live on lasagna every day. (Or at least I can't, maybe you can?)

The best way to survive hot days or heavy dishes is to balance them out with something cool and light, like these salmon lettuce wraps.

If you want, you can use leftover cooked salmon from another dish, but the method we describe here for rubbing it first with salt and ginger, then poaching it in salted water infused with lemon, will result in beautifully flavored salmon.

The salmon is paired with a salad of chopped jicama, cucumber, cilantro, onion, ginger, lime, and mint and served in lettuce leaves with some avocado slices.

Salmon Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber, Jicama, and Ginger

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 4 servings

Prep the ingredients for the cucumber, jicama, ginger salad while the salmon fillets are marinating.

If you substitute a regular cucumber for the English cucumber, peel it.

Ingredients

Salmon:

  • 1 (12-ounce) skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2 even pieces

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

  • 4 cups water

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, for poaching liquid

  • 1 slice lemon

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cucumber, jicama, ginger salad:

  • 3/4 cup thin-skinned (English or Persian) cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, diced

  • 2/3 cup jicama, peeled, small diced

  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • 6 large leaves butter lettuce

Method

  1. Marinate the salmon fillets:

    Rub with 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a teaspoon of grated ginger. Set in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, while you prep the other ingredients.

  2. Combine cucumbers, jicama, red onion, cilantro, lime, ginger, mint, salt:

    In a medium bowl, gently combine the diced cucumbers, jicama, red onion, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, grated ginger, chopped mint, and salt. Set aside for the flavors to blend.

  3. Poach the salmon:

    Prepare salmon poaching liquid. Place water, salt, and a slice of lemon in a pot wide enough to hold the salmon fillets. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

    Add the salmon fillets that have been marinating in ginger and salt to the poaching liquid. Return to a simmer and cook for about 4 minute at a very low simmer.

    When just cooked through, remove from poaching liquid and place in a bowl. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Once the salmon has cooled to touch, break up gently into large flakes.

  4. Arrange the lettuce wraps:

    Slice the avocado. On to each butter lettuce leaf, place a few chunks of salmon, a large spoonful of the cucumber jicama mixture, and top with some slices of avocado.

    Fold up the lettuce wrap and eat!

Salmon Lettuce Wraps
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
367 Calories
26g Fat
14g Carbs
22g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 367
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 859mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 24mg 118%
Calcium 52mg 4%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 966mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.