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Featured Comment:
“I found your blog on Google while searching for sashimi salad recipes. I tried this and mixed it with some sashimi I got from 99 Ranch here in Los Angeles. So delish! I was surprised how rich and tempting the dressing tasted!”
– Esther
What is Sashimi Salad?
As the name suggests, sashimi salad is a simple dish made with salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, and avocado topped with fresh slices of sashimi-grade fish. One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s ready in a flash, and you can add all your favorite kinds of sashimi and vegetables to suit your tastes. There are no rules here!
I also include how to make a delicious Japanese-style “wafu” dressing made with soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and grated garlic. This dressing requires just 30 seconds of cooking, so it’s perfect for a quick lunch or side with dinner!
How I Developed This Recipe
The choice of dressing is crucial for a dish that combines the delicate flavors of sashimi with the fresh, crisp textures of a salad. In my mind, only one dressing perfectly complements both: a soy sauce-based dressing that’s a beautiful blend of sweet and savory, with a hint of sesame oil to round out the flavors.
This dressing isn’t just a mere addition; it’s the star of the recipe. Its robust and nuanced flavors enhance the sashimi’s freshness and improve the salad’s simplicity.
It’s one of my favorite Japanese dressings, I encourage you to give it a try!
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
Dressing Ingredients:
- Soy sauce – the base flavor of the dressing and the perfect partner for sashimi. I use Japanese “koikuchi shoyu” (dark soy sauce).
- Mirin – adds sweetness and umami to the sauce. I recommend good quality “hon mirin” rather than “mirin-style condiments”. If you can’t get mirin, substitute with a little extra sugar and water for consistency.
- Sugar – I opt for light brown cane sugar, but regular white sugar also works fine.
- White toasted sesame seeds – for a mildly nutty taste and crunchy texture.
- Sesame oil – for a deep nutty flavor, the texture of the oil also helps it stick to the sashimi and vegetables.
- Olive oil – a surprising addition that adds a fresh and rich taste to the dressing.
- Grated garlic – For convenience, I prefer to use store-bought garlic paste for this recipe. If using fresh garlic cloves, be sure to grate them as small as possible so they can be evenly distributed into the dressing.
- Lemon juice – the acidity balances the dressing and gives a tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with fish. Freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottled both works for this recipe.
- White pepper – for a little bit of heat. You can use freshly ground black pepper if you prefer.
Because my recipe contains alcohol (mirin), it needs to be boiled for 30 seconds to 1 minute to burn away the alcohol and make it suitable for eating with salad. This is the only cooking you need to do for this recipe! If you need to omit the mirin, you can skip the cooking altogether.
Salad Ingredients:
- Sashimi-grade fish – I personally use salmon, tuna, yellow tail, and sweet shrimp. See the section below for more ideas.
- Avocado – the fresh taste and creamy texture of avocado go perfectly with sashimi and is a common sushi ingredient in recent years.
- Mini tomatoes – great texture with a sweet and tangy flavor, goes especially well with the wafu dressing.
- Mixed lettuce – mainly for the crunch, but the simple flavor of lettuce allows you to enjoy the dressing to the full. You could use shredded cabbage if you want to make the salad more Japanese-y.
- Baby leaf spinach – the tender leaves and mild flavor make baby leaf spinach a great addition to this salad.
Again, there’s no real rule for what salad vegetables you should use, so here are a few ideas for substitutions you can make or add to your own sashimi salad!
- Cucumbers
- Sweet corn
- Arugula (rocket)
- Steamed brocolli
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Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsWhat is Sashimi / Sushi Grade Fish?
To make a “Sashimi Salad,” sashimi is a crucial ingredient. But, what exactly is sashimi, and what kind of fish is used to make it?
Sashimi is raw fish that is sliced into pieces. Sushi or sashimi-grade fish means that the fish is caught and then safely stored and transported to ensure that it is parasite-free and safe to eat raw. You can purchase it either pre-sliced and ready to eat or in a block that can be sliced into your desired shapes and sizes.
Sashimi-grade fish is available at Japanese supermarkets or online. Please be cautious and do not eat raw fish unless you’re certain that it’s sushi/sashimi grade.
Common types of fish and seafood to use in sashimi salad are:
- Salmon (サーモン)
- Bluefin tuna (マグロ)
- Red snapper (タイ)
- Yellowtail (ブリ)
- Scallops (ホタテ)
- Squid (イカ)
- Sweet shrimp (甘エビ)
It’s up to you whether you want to stick to one kind or mix it up! I like to use a mixture myself!
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Sashimi Salad with homemade Japanese wafu dressing. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Pour the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar into a small saucepan and boil for 30 seconds. (Alternatively, microwave for 1 minute.) This step is to burn off the alcohol in the mirin. (If you’re not using mirin, you can skip this step.)
Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes, and then transfer it to a measuring jug.
Add sesame seeds, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic paste, lemon juice, and white pepper to the jug. Whisk thoroughly until well combined and store in the refrigerator until serving time.
Wash and cut your vegetables into bitesize pieces according to your preference, then place them in a bowl.
Arrange the slices of sashimi on top.
Drizzle with the homemade dressing and mix well before eating.
Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsHow to Store
Storage depends on the freshness of your ingredients. Salad vegetables should be refrigerated and used in within 1-2 days of mixing. Fresh sashimi should be stored separately in a sealed container in the fridge and consumed within 1 day of purchase. Once the whole salad is assembled, it should be eaten immediately. I don’t recommend preparing this salad in advance.
The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy sashimi salad recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to share what ingredients you used and let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. Thank you!
I hope you enjoy this Sashimi Salad recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Salad Recipes
- Japanese Potato Salad (Izakaya Style)
- Japanese Chicken Salad (with Homemade Dressing)
- Wakame Salad (Japanese Seaweed Salad)
- Japanese Style Avocado Egg Salad with Wasabi Mayo
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Salad Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Sashimi Salad (with Homemade Japanese Wafu Dressing)
Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Wafu Dressing
Salad Ingredients
- 200 g sashimi-grade fish salmon, tuna, yellowtail etc thinly sliced
- 1 avocado(s) cubed
- 100 g mini tomatoes halved
- 30 g baby leaf spinach
- 150 g mixed lettuce leaves
Instructions
- First, heat 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tsp sugar together in a small saucepan. Allow to boil for 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer it to a small jug or bowl.
- Add ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds, ½ tbsp sesame oil, ½ tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic paste, ½ tsp lemon juice, 1 pinch white pepper powder and mix. Store in the fridge until serving time.
- Place the washed and cut vegetables in a salad bowl.
- Arrange 200 g sashimi-grade fish on the top of the vegetables.
- Drizzle with sauce and mix well before serving.
- Enjoy!
Esther Leng
I found your blog on Google while searching for sashimi salad recipes. I tried this and mixed it with some sashimi I got from 99 Ranch here in Los Angeles. So delish! I was surprised how rich and tempting the dressing tasted! Unfortunately, I’ve never had mirin before and had to sub rice vinegar for it. The only thing I would suggest adding is cucumber; I did and it helped fill me up even more. お疲れ様!
Thanks for sharing!
Yuto Omura
HI Esther,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and sharing your experience! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I will make sure to add cucumber for additional ingredient idea when I update this post!
Yuto