Japanese Herb and Sesame Chopped Salad

About This Recipe

Japanese home cooking includes a wide range of simple chopped and shredded vegetable salads (known broadly as sarada) served as a cooling counterpoint to rich grilled or fried mains, often built from whatever's freshest at the local market that week. This version combines finely shredded cabbage and cucumber with torn shiso and mitsuba, two herbs common at Japanese greengrocers but rarely used outside Japan, tossed in a roasted sesame dressing (goma dressing) that's a fixture on nearly every Japanese salad bar. The technique is about texture and timing: vegetables are cut thin and uniform so every bite has crunch, and the dressing is added just before serving so the salt in the soy sauce doesn't wilt the cabbage and cucumber into a watery mess. Toasting whole sesame seeds and grinding half of them releases much more aroma than using pre-ground tahini or store-bought dressing. Served alongside grilled fish, karaage, or a bowl of rice, this salad plays the same role countryside market stalls give their simple vegetable sides -- fresh, palate-cleansing, and quick to put together from a handful of everyday ingredients.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 ggreen cabbage(finely shredded)
• 1Japanese or Persian cucumber(thinly sliced)
• 1 mediumcarrot(julienned)
• 6 leavesshiso(torn)
• 2 tbspmitsuba or cilantro(chopped)
• 3 tbspwhite sesame seeds(toasted)
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbsprice vinegar
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame oil
• 1 tspsugar
• 0.5 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the cabbage

   Toss shredded cabbage with 0.5 tsp salt and let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid gently -- this keeps the salad crisp instead of watery.

2. 2

   Toast the sesame seeds

   Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Cool slightly.

3. 3

   Make the dressing

   Grind half the toasted sesame seeds coarsely with a mortar or spice grinder. Whisk with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar until combined.

4. 4

   Combine the vegetables

   In a large bowl, combine the salted cabbage, cucumber, carrot, shiso, and mitsuba.

5. 5

   Dress and serve

   Pour the dressing over just before serving and toss well. Scatter remaining whole sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Add thin strips of cooked chicken or tofu to turn this into a light main course.

• •

  Swap shiso for a mix of mint and basil if shiso isn't available -- the flavor profile shifts but stays fresh and herbal.

• •

  Use ponzu instead of soy-vinegar-oil dressing for a citrusy variation.

Storage

Best eaten fresh within 30 minutes of dressing. Store undressed vegetables and dressing separately in the fridge up to 2 days, combining just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions