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A Japanese black mortar containing cut tomato wedges dressed in ground sesame ponzu seasoning, garnished with mitsuba leaves on top.

Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
For a refreshing side dish on a busy weeknight, try my Japanese Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu recipe. Tangy, sweet, and nutty, it takes just minutes to make the citrusy soy dressing and toss it with juicy tomatoes. Variations included!
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 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!
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu Ingredients

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.
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu 1
  • Add 2 Tbsp ponzu to the mortar with the sesame seeds and mix together with chopsticks.
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu 2

To Prepare the Tomato

  • Cut 1 tomato into 6–8 wedges.
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu 3
  • Then, cut the wedges crosswise in half.
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu 4

To Toss the Salad

  • Add the tomato chunks to the bowl with the sesame ponzu. Toss gently with chopsticks until well coated.
    Tomato Salad with Sesame Ponzu 5

To Serve

  • Garnish with greens (I used homegrown mitsuba).
    A Japanese black mortar containing cut tomato wedges dressed in ground sesame ponzu seasoning, garnished with mitsuba leaves on top.

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.

Notes

Variations and Customizations

There are so many ways that you can enhance this basic salad with additional flavors, veggies, and proteins. Here are a few of my favorite suggestions.
    • 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.
    • Try young ginger or myoga. I highly recommend adding sliced myoga (Japanese ginger flower buds), if you can find it in the summertime. It has a heavenly fragrance and mild gingery taste. Julienned young ginger also works well. If you don't have it, you could try julienned regular ginger soaked in water to tame its spiciness.
    • 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 31kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 241mg, Potassium: 159mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 513IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg
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