Salted Kelp Mizuna Salad with Persimmon, Apples, and Candied Sardines

Recipes |

As you could probably already tell by now, I’m all about celebrating, discovering, and innovating with Japanese ingredients (in the hopes of inspiring others to cook with them). This Japanese fall inspired salad combo is killer and all I’ve been eating for dinner lately.

Featured Japanese Ingredients

Mizuna I love mizuna, aka what I like to call Japanese arugula because it has the same peppery (but milder) flavor profile as arugula. I use it as the main source of leafy greens / filler in my salad. It’s native to Japan so its local and cheap–which is another reason prefer it to other leafy greens. Now that it’s in peak season and cheaper and tastier than ever, I’ve been chopping up a whole bunch (literally) and making filling meals out of it. I also use it in soups, stir fries, and even as a garnish on toast or pizza, which i’ll share recipes for in later posts.

Shio Kombu This salad is super refreshing and the dressing couldn’t be any simpler. The shio kombu or Japanese salted kelp does all the heavy lifting flavor wise so all you need are a few spoonfuls of rice vinegar (or lemon) and a light drizzle of olive oil and you’re good to go!

Shio kombu, Japanese salted kelp strips

Persimmon The Fuji apples and persimmons, both of which are Japanese autumn fruits, add a contrasting sweetness and refreshing bite to the salad.

Tazukuri Adding the tazukuri aka Japanese candied baby sardines to me, is kind of like adding dried cranberries to a salad (which you can substitue them with or if you’re like me add both), On their own they are enjoyed as a snack–one which was introduced to me in school lunch. They add a sweet and savory crunch and meaty bite to the salad.

Right: tazukuri, dried dried baby sardines for snacking coated in honey, mirin, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds. Left: Japanese persimmon

Salted Kelp Mizuna Salad with Persimmon, Apples, and Candied Sardines

  • 1 bunch mizuna, chopped
  • 1 tbs shio kombu (Japanese salted kelp)
  • 1/2 apple wedge, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 persimmon, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 carrot, julienned
  • 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
  • small handful of candied sardines
  • several sprinkles of toasted sesame seeds + more for garnish
  • splash of rice vinegar or lemon juice
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • dried cranberries (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve and top with choice of protein and sesame seeds and / or spring onions.

Optional Additions and Topping Ideas

  • myoga, Japanese ginger
  • cherry tomatoes
  • avocado
  • fried potato (as topping)
  • crumbled tofu feta (as topping)
  • roast beef slices (as topping)
  • seared salmon fillet (as topping)