Name: Japanese Tomato Salad
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar; 1½ tablespoons soy sauce; ½ teaspoon honey; ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil; ¼ cup finely chopped onion; 6 shiso leaves (3 minced, 3 shredded); 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted; 1½ pounds ripe mixed tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch wedges

Why This Recipe Works

This fresh, bright salad is exactly what you want to eat on a hot summer day, and it’s a delicious way to showcase perfectly ripe tomatoes. The dressing of rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil highlights the tomatoes’ natural sweetness and umami; finely chopped onions and toasted sesame seeds bring extra textural and flavor complements. The finishing touch is shiso, a fragrant herb in the mint family that’s often used in Japanese cuisine. It’s used two ways: minced in the marinade, so that it coats the tomatoes evenly, and shredded on top for a garnish.

Before You Begin

Use the ripest, most flavorful, in-season tomatoes you can find for this salad. We like the shape of wedges here, but feel free to cut the tomatoes however you like. Shiso is a Japanese herb that has a bright, slightly minty and peppery flavor that pairs wonderfully with tomatoes. Korean perilla leaf also works, but if you can’t find either, it is OK to skip.

Instructions

Whisk 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon honey, and ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil in bowl until well combined. Stir in ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 3 minced shiso leaves, and 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame seeds. Add 1½ pounds ripe mixed tomatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges, and toss gently until evenly coated. Let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with 3 shredded shiso leaves and serve.