Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu

– Grind the sesame seeds. I like to leave some seeds unground for texture.

– Add the ponzu sauce. Mix together with chopsticks until combined.

– Cut the tomato. Slice into wedges, then cut them in half crosswise.

Assemble

– Toss. Add the tomato chunks to the sesame ponzu and gently toss with chopsticks to coat.

– Serve. Optionally, garnish with sprigs of mitsuba or your favorite green herb.

Gather all the ingredients. Tip: If you have time, toast your sesame seeds in an ungreased frying pan, shaking frequently, until one or two seeds start to pop and they are lightly toasted. The sesame seeds taste amazing even just slightly toasted!

To Make the Dressing

Using a mortar and pestle, grind 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds. I like to leave some seeds unground for texture.

Add 2 Tbsp ponzu to the mortar with the sesame seeds and mix together with chopsticks.

To Prepare the Tomato

Cut 1 tomato into 6–8 wedges.

Then, cut the wedges crosswise in half.

To Toss the Salad

Add the tomato chunks to the bowl with the sesame ponzu. Toss gently with chopsticks until well coated.

To Serve:

Garnish with greens (I used homegrown mitsuba).

To Store:

This salad is best when assembled just before serving, so I don't recommend keeping it as leftovers or tossing it ahead of time. You can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge.

Sprinkle with julienned shiso (perilla leaves). This fragrant Japanese herb and tomato are a classic summer combination.

Add minced shallot or white onion. Mix a teaspoon or two into the dressing for an aromatic kick.

Toss in greens or sea vegetables. Wakame seaweed pairs well with these flavors. I love the spicy taste of mizuna (Japanese mustard greens) with this dressing, or use your favorite salad greens.

Add protein. Make it more substantial with shredded steamed chicken, silken tofu, deep-fried tofu, boiled shrimp, thinly sliced pork (shabu shabu), or boiled egg.

Substitute yuzu-flavored ponzu. Yuzu is a tart and incredibly fragrant citrus fruit used for centuries in Japanese and Korean cuisine. It makes a delicious ponzu that we call yuzu pon (柚子ポン) in Japan. You can find it sold in Japanese markets or make my homemade Yuzu Ponzu with fresh yuzu fruit.

Add mayonnaise or sesame oil to ponzu. Enhance your ponzu sauce by adding a touch of Japanese mayonnaise or sesame oil. Just a small amount of these Japanese condiments can elevate the flavor, giving it a creamy or nutty twist!

Make it gluten-free. Look for gluten-free ponzu or make it from scratch using gluten-free soy sauce.