For a refreshing aspect dish on a busy weeknight, strive my Japanese Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu recipe. Tangy, candy, and nutty, it takes simply minutes to make the citrusy soy dressing and toss it with juicy tomatoes. Variations included!
On busy weeknights, I’m an enormous fan of recipes with tons of taste and minimal prep time. That’s why I really like this simple Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu recipe. It comes collectively in simply 5 minutes and is directly nutty, tangy, savory, and candy, Plus, cleanup is a snap!
When you’re craving extra fast salad recipes, strive my Japanese Cucumber Salad, Seaweed Salad with Miso Dressing, and Japanese Kani Salad subsequent!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Fast and easy: Grind the sesame seeds, add ponzu, minimize the tomatoes, and toss. Achieved!
- Filled with taste: The Japanese citrus soy sauce and floor white sesame seeds make a vivid, wealthy, and umami dressing.
- One-bowl recipe: I combine the dressing and toss the salad within the mortar that I exploit to grind the sesame seeds, so there’s just one dish to clean.
Components for This Tomato Salad
- Tomatoes
- Ponzu (Japanese citrus dipping sauce)
- Toasted white sesame seeds
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Bounce to RecipeSubstitutions
- Ponzu: This all-purpose Japanese condiment with citrus juice and soy sauce is utilized in salad dressing, dipping sauce, and seafood marinade. You’ll find it bottled at a Japanese grocery retailer or Amazon. You can too make it from scratch with my Home made Ponzu Sauce Recipe.
- White sesame seeds: You’ll find pre-toasted white sesame seeds in Japanese and Asian markets. When you can’t discover it, you may frivolously toast your personal in a dry fry pan till aromatic. You would additionally add a contact of toasted sesame oil to reinforce the nutty taste.
Key Kitchen Instruments
Easy methods to Make Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu
Preparation
Step 1 – Grind the sesame seeds. I like to go away some seeds unground for texture.
Step 2 – Add the ponzu sauce. Combine along with chopsticks till mixed.
Step 3 – Lower the tomato. Slice into wedges, then minimize them in half crosswise.
Assemble
Step 4 – Toss. Add the tomato chunks to the sesame ponzu and gently toss with chopsticks to coat.
Step 5 – Serve. Optionally, garnish with sprigs of mitsuba or your favourite inexperienced herb.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Use the ripest tomato yow will discover – The standard of the three elements on this dish actually matter. I attempt to choose the most effective tomato that’s ripe, juicy, candy, and tangy.
- Toast the sesame seeds – In case you have time, I extremely advocate toasting your sesame seeds, even if in case you have the pre-toasted form. This further step will get up the flavour in order that they style superb. Merely warmth them in a dry frying pan, shaking continually, till one or two seeds pop and they’re frivolously toasted.
- Serve it instantly – I like this salad greatest when it’s dressed simply earlier than serving. The longer it sits, the extra juice the tomato will launch into the dressing and dilute it.
Variations and Customizations
There are such a lot of methods that you would be able to improve this fundamental salad with extra flavors, veggies, and proteins. Listed below are just a few of my favourite solutions.
- Sprinkle with julienned shiso (perilla leaves). This aromatic Japanese herb and tomato are a basic summer time mixture.
- Add minced shallot or white onion. Combine a teaspoon or two into the dressing for an fragrant kick.
- Attempt younger ginger or myoga. I extremely advocate including sliced myoga (Japanese ginger flower buds), if yow will discover it within the summertime. It has a heavenly perfume and gentle gingery style. Julienned younger ginger additionally works properly. When you don’t have it, you might strive julienned common ginger soaked in water to tame its spiciness.
- Toss in greens or sea greens. Wakame seaweed pairs properly with these flavors. I really like the spicy style of mizuna (Japanese mustard greens) with this dressing, or use your favourite salad greens.
- Add protein. Make it extra substantial with shredded steamed hen, silken tofu, deep-fried tofu, boiled shrimp, thinly sliced pork (shabu shabu), or boiled egg.
- Substitute yuzu-flavored ponzu. Yuzu is a tart and extremely aromatic citrus fruit used for hundreds of years in Japanese and Korean delicacies. It makes a scrumptious ponzu that we name yuzu pon (柚子ポン) in Japan. You’ll find it bought in Japanese markets or make my home made Yuzu Ponzu with recent yuzu fruit.
- Add mayonnaise or sesame oil to ponzu. Improve your ponzu sauce by including a contact of Japanese mayonnaise or sesame oil. Only a small quantity of those Japanese condiments can elevate the flavour, giving it a creamy or nutty twist!
- Make it gluten-free. Search for gluten-free ponzu or make it from scratch utilizing gluten-free soy sauce.
What to Serve with This Salad
Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu goes properly with virtually any menu!
Storage Ideas
To retailer: This salad is greatest when assembled simply earlier than serving, so I don’t advocate maintaining it as leftovers or tossing it forward of time. You can also make the dressing prematurely and retailer it within the fridge.
Regularly Requested Questions
You can also make the sesame ponzu prematurely, however I don’t advocate dressing the tomatoes till simply earlier than you serve this salad.
In a pinch, you might simmer in a saucepan 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1–2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice, and a pair of–3 teaspoon mirin or orange juice.
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Collect all of the elements. Tip: In case you have time, toast your sesame seeds in an ungreased frying pan, shaking incessantly, till one or two seeds begin to pop and they’re frivolously toasted. The sesame seeds style superb even simply barely toasted!
To Put together the Tomato
Lower 1 tomato into 6–8 wedges.
Then, minimize the wedges crosswise in half.
To Serve
- Garnish with greens (I used homegrown mitsuba).
Variations and Customizations
There are such a lot of methods that you would be able to improve this fundamental salad with extra flavors, veggies, and proteins. Listed below are just a few of my favourite solutions.-
- Sprinkle with julienned shiso (perilla leaves). This aromatic Japanese herb and tomato are a basic summer time mixture.
-
- Add minced shallot or white onion. Combine a teaspoon or two into the dressing for an fragrant kick.
-
- Attempt younger ginger or myoga. I extremely advocate including sliced myoga (Japanese ginger flower buds), if yow will discover it within the summertime. It has a heavenly perfume and gentle gingery style. Julienned younger ginger additionally works properly. When you don’t have it, you might strive julienned common ginger soaked in water to tame its spiciness.
-
- Toss in greens or sea greens. Wakame seaweed pairs properly with these flavors. I really like the spicy style of mizuna (Japanese mustard greens) with this dressing, or use your favourite salad greens.
-
- Add protein. Make it extra substantial with shredded steamed hen, silken tofu, deep-fried tofu, boiled shrimp, thinly sliced pork (shabu shabu), or boiled egg.
-
- Substitute yuzu-flavored ponzu. Yuzu is a tart and extremely aromatic citrus fruit used for hundreds of years in Japanese and Korean delicacies. It makes a scrumptious ponzu that we name yuzu pon (柚子ポン) in Japan. You’ll find it bought in Japanese markets or make my home made Yuzu Ponzu with recent yuzu fruit.
-
- Add mayonnaise or sesame oil to ponzu. Improve your ponzu sauce by including a contact of Japanese mayonnaise or sesame oil. Only a small quantity of those Japanese condiments can elevate the flavour, giving it a creamy or nutty twist!
