Mouthwatering Japanese-style Pickled Tomatoes pack layers of umami in every bite. Dashi stock and soy sauce infuse the vinegar marinade for soaking ripe and juicy tomatoes. Savor these chilled tomatoes as a refreshing side dish or appetizer!
Before the summer ends, I wanted to share one more recipe – Japanese-style Pickled Tomatoes (トマトの酢漬け). I was inspired to make this recipe after watching the popular Japanese TV drama – Kodoku no Gurume (孤独のグルメ) [Season 6, Episode 2]. The protagonist had the pickled tomatoes as a part of Pan Fried Ginger Pork Belly lunch meal set. It looked really refreshing and I had to come up with something similar.
For those of you who are not familiar with Kodoku no Gurume, the main character Gorō is a Japanese salaryman who is in sales. As a salesman, Gorō travels across Japan for his work and on each business trip he visits various restaurants and street booths to sample the local cuisine. Each chapter features a different place and dish.
This TV drama has been around for years in Japan, and currently, Season 7 is on air. Unfortunately, it is not available on Netflix like Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories here in the States, but it’s available on Netflix Japan and other sources. Maybe Netflix USA will pick it up if there’s enough interest for the drama.
Whether you have access to Kodoku no Gurume or not, I want to share all the delicious foods the main character Goro-san enjoyed in the show and I hope you would join me in cooking up these dishes.
Japanese-Styled Pickled Tomatoes
In Japanese, when whole tomatoes are marinated in vinegar, they are called Tomato no Suzuke (トマトの酢漬け). But what makes it “Japanese-style”? Here are the two things that distinguish Japanese Pickled Tomatoes from other kinds of pickled tomatoes you may be familiar with:
1. The use of dashi and soy sauce
Oftentimes, the vinegar marinade for Japanese pickled tomatoes is not just vinegar, but it also includes soy sauce and dashi – Japanese stock/broth. If you want to make this vegetarian/vegan, you can use Vegan Dashi; otherwise, you can make it with the most common Awase Dashi made with both kombu and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
2. The tomatoes are pickled without the skins
For this recipe, tomato skins for the Pickled Tomatoes are usually peeled off. When you bite into tomatoes, the texture is considered better without the skin on. It’s up to you if you want to do this extra step, but maybe give both choices a try and let me know if you like the skins peeled or not peeled.
The Easiest Way to Peel Off the Tomato Skins
There are several ways to peel off the tomato skins: blanch, scorch, microwave, or freeze the tomatoes. Among them, I think the easiest and safest method is blanching.
You would prepare a pot of boiling water. Gently submerge the tomato(es) in the boiling water for 10-15 seconds turning once. Then immediately transfer to the iced water. Then the skin will be peeled off easily.
If you have picked up some juicy, fresh red tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market, the Japanese-style Pickled Tomatoes is definitely a fun and unique way to put them to good use.
JOC Kodoku no Gurume Recipes Series
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Pickled Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes
For the Marinade
- ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (use standard Awase Dashi, dashi packet or powder, or Vegan Dashi)
- 1 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (for gluten-free, use GF soy sauce)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Garnish
- ½ onion (optional)
- parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Prepare a large jar or container that can fit your tomatoes. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade: ½ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock), 1 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned), 4 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Using a knife, score an X in the skin on the bottom of 2 tomatoes. Place them gently into the boiling water.
- Blanch the tomatoes for 10–15 seconds, flipping them once halfway through. Transfer the tomatoes from the pot to a cutting board.
- You can dunk them in cold water for 10 seconds to cool or leave them on the cutting board until they‘re cool enough to handle. Then, gently peel off the skin using your fingers. Discard the skin.
- Place the tomatoes in the marinade. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until completely chilled or up to 3–5 days.
To Serve
- When you‘re ready to serve, mince ½ onion (optional) for garnish. You will need 2–3 Tbsp minced onion per tomato.
- Soak the minced onion in a bowl of water to remove the bitterness. Squeeze out the water and they are ready to use.
- Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch (1.3-cm) slices. Garnish with the minced onion and parsley (optional).
Hi Namiko, can the marinade be reused to pickle more tomatoes or a salad dressing? Also, any risk of spoiling if I use less than the recommended amount of vinegar (it’s rather expensive)?
Hi Jay! Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
This recipe calls for Dashi, which is a water-based ingredient. As a result, we recommend using it up within 5 days.
As for reducing the amount of vinegar, you can do so by shortening the marinade time. However, the flavor will differ from the original recipe.
We hope this helps!
Hi Namiko,
What do I do with the pickled juice? Any recommendations?
Hi Vy N, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
You can use it as a Dressing over sliced cucumber or add it to an egg and make an easy scrambled egg etc.🙂
We hope this helps!
Hi Namiko, can I use Sushi Vinegar instead of rice vinegar for all your recipes which uses rice vinegar?
Hi Rayna, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Sushi Vinegar contains sugar, salt, etc. If you use them as a substitute for Rice vinegar, please adjust the salt and sugar amount for your liking.