Asian Caprese Salad

This Asian Caprese Salad, I suppose, technically isn’t Caprese salad. But instead, it’s a healthier alternative to the traditional Caprese salad made with traditionally Japanese ingredients.

What is Caprese Salad?

This simple yet beautiful Italian salad is usually made with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. The salad dressing is made with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. All characteristically Italian ingredients that go together extremely well.

It’s no surprise that the similar set of simple ingredients from other cultures can yield equally delightful salad.

Mozzarella Cheese Alternative

Cheese is not a typical ingredient in Asian cooking. To make the Asian version of this salad, I used, of course, thinly sliced tofu.

Even those dinner guests who may typically not be a tofu enthusiast will be pleasantly surprised with this dish. Because just like the Italian version, this salad is well balanced with the salad dressing that’s full of flavor.

Basil Alternative

I really wanted to use Shiso (sometimes called Ooba) leaves to make this as the alternative to basil. Shiso or Ooba is the Japanese name for the green (or sometimes purple) herbs in the mint family with a refreshing, citrusy note.

But it was not meant to be. I could not find them anywhere when I went shopping for these ingredients. So, I opted for green onion instead. Green onion goes extremely well with tofu anyway and they are much easier to find. So, it definitely is not a substandard choice by any means.

Asian Caprese Salad Dressing

Oh, the dressing! This is the perfect dressing for this salad. The main ingredient is mentsuyu (also called hontsuyu) or the Japanese soup base. It goes so well with tofu because of the depth of flavor it has compared to plain soy sauce.

Asian-style Caprese Salad Recipe

healthier Asian alternative for Caprese salad

Asian “Caprese” Salad

This healthier Asian version of the Caprese Salad is made with traditionally Asian ingredients. It's equally simple yet flavorful!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 – 3 medium ripe tomatoes sliced 1/4-inch thick
7 oz tofu, firm sliced 1/4-inch-thick rectangles, then cut in half into squares
3 green onion (or Shiso or Ooba leaves) thinly chopped

Dressing

2 tablespoon mentsuyu
2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ponzu
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar

Method

Whisk all the Salad Dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
Slice tomatoes and tofu into thin 1/4 inch slices. Tofu should be first cut into rectangles then halved into squares.
Arrange tomatoes and tofu on a plate in an alternating pattern – on a large serving platter or into smaller serving bowls/plates.
Top with the chopped green onions (or shiso or ooba leaves) over the tomatoes and tofu.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the tomatoes, tofu and green onion. Serve immediately.

There you have it. This salad may not have the origins tracing back to the Island of Capri, you can still enjoy this on a hot sunny day with juicy, ripe tomatoes and a glass or two of Pinot Grigio!

Pin it for later!

Spread the love