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Japanese Tomato Salad with Lemon Tsuyu Dressing
Enjoy fresh tomatoes in this simple Japanese tomato salad with olive oil, lemon juice, and mentsuyu dressing. The addition of katsuo bushi and scallions gives an extra punch of flavor.
Summer is the time to enjoy tomatoes, especially for those who harvest their own garden bounties. Instead of a complicated recipe , I prefer choosing simple recipes like this Japanese tomato salad with lemon tsuyu dressing to enjoy tomatoes to their fullest.
This recipe brings out the flavor of tomatoes to its best by complimenting it with a light and flavorful dressing using extra virgin olive oil, mentsuyu, and fresh lemon juice.
Those who enjoy tomatoes will love this salad. And if you stock your kitchen with common Japanese pantry ingredients, this will be a great recipe in your rotation.
Ingredients for Japanese Tomato Salad with Lemon Tsuyu Dressing
Tomatoes
I usually use beefsteak tomatoes since they look so pretty when cut up and arranged into a beautiful flower shape on a plate. But if they are unavailable, you can also go with cherry tomatoes cut into halves.
Olive oil
I use extra virgin olive oil for all my salad dressings. Try using good quality olive oil since the dressing will be much more flavorful.
Mentsuyu
Mentsuyu is a Japanese soup stock for preparing noodle dishes. Just be aware that mentsuyu is also known as tsuyu or hontsuyu.
Lemon juice
Please only use fresh lemon to get lemon juice. You can also use yuzu instead of lemon, but fresh yuzu rarely appears, even in a well-stocked Asian market.
Katsuo bushi
Katsuo bushi or bonito flakes are one of the main ingredients in making dashi (Japanese soup stock). The tasty bonito flakes are also commonly used as toppings for okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and Japanese salad.
Scallions
I use scallions since I always have fresh scallions in my fridge. But for this particular salad, you can also use fresh perilla leaves or nori.
How to Prepare Japanese Tomato Salad with Lemon Tsuyu Dressing
1. Cut tomatoes
Cut each tomato into 16 wedges and arrange them neatly on a plate.
2. Make salad dressing
Whisk olive oil, mentsuyu, and lemon juice until emulsified
3. Make the salad
Pour the dressing over the tomatoes, then sprinkle with katsuo bushi and scallions. Serve immediately.
Japanese Tomato Salad with Lemon Tsuyu Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon mentsuyu
- 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice (~ 1/2 lemon)
- 2 tablespoon katsuo bushi
- 2 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
- Cut tomatoes: Cut each tomato into 16 wedges and arrange them neatly on a plate.
- Dressing: Whisk olive oil, mentsuyu, and lemon juice until emulsified
- Salad: Pour the dressing over the tomatoes, then sprinkle with katsuo bushi and scallions. Serve immediately.
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