Salmon Rice Balls + Tofu Flower Soup

Soft, savoury, and fun to eat with little hands, these salmon sushi balls are one of my go-to lunchbox or after-nap snack ideas. They're a great way to use up leftover salmon and rice in the fridge too. Feel free to substitute with canned tuna as well!
They’re easy to shape, endlessly customisable, and make use of pantry staples like cooked rice and miso paste.
The tofu flower miso soup is a fun gentle, calming side that feels a little bit special with the anemone shaped tofu. So simple and takes only a few minutes to make.

Why I Love It:

✔️ High-protein from salmon and tofu
✔️ A fun twist on onigiri, perfect for toddler hands
✔️ Clean, wholesome ingredients with pantry staples
✔️ Great way to use up leftover rice or salmon in the fridge
✔️ Only 15 minutes to prep, and no frying involved
✔️ Makes a great lunch box or take-along snack

Ingredients:

For salmon balls:

– 1 fillet cooked salmon (seasoned to your preference (we use this)
– 1.5–2 cups cooked short grain rice
– 1 tsp soy sauce
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 1 tsp Japanese mayonnaise (optional)
– 1 tsp sesame seeds
– Seaweed flakes (we make our own) or furikake
– Chopped spring onions or broccoli

For tofu flower miso soup:

– 4 cups water
– 1/4 tsp dashi powder (or use a small piece of kelp + bonito flakes)
– 2 tbsp miso paste
– 1 block soft tofu
– Chopped spring onions for garnish

Instructions:

1. Make the Salmon Sushi Balls
– Cook salmon with your preferred seasonings (we like this one → our default salmon recipe
– Flake salmon with a fork
– Mix with cooked rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, Japanese mayo, chopped spring onions, sesame seeds and seaweed flakes
– Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference
– Mould into balls, doughnut shapes, or onigiri with damp hands
– Garnish with sesame seeds and more seaweed flakes if desired

2. Make the Tofu Flower Miso Soup
– Bring water to a boil, add dashi powder (or simmer kelp/bonito flakes)
– Cut tofu block into 4 squares
– Place each square on a cutting board
– Use 2 chopsticks to guide your knife and make fine cuts lengthwise
– Turn tofu 90° and repeat to create a criss-cross square pattern
– Gently scoop and drop tofu into soup
– Simmer for 1 minute
– Turn off heat
– In a ladle, dissolve miso paste with a bit of hot soup before stirring it back into the pot
– Top with chopped spring onions just before serving

👶🏻 Toddler-Friendly Tip:

These sushi balls are easy for little hands to hold and eat, just make sure to flake the salmon finely and skip or reduce the seasonings if serving to younger toddlers.
For the miso soup, the soft tofu “flowers” are fun to spot and easy to chew. Always taste the soup and adjust saltiness depending on your miso paste.