A brightly colored salad bursting with beautiful harmonious contrasts: deep pink slices of seared tuna rest over a bed of deep green dandelion leaves and light green cucumber slices. Dark buckwheat soba noodles weave through the salad, speckled with jet-black sesame seeds. On the side, a dollop of wasabi adds a pop of light green and a specially prepared sake cup holds the glistening yuzu-sesame dressing.

Tuna Tataki and Dandelion Green Soba Salad

Name: Tuna Tataki and Dandelion Green Soba Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 handfuls dandelion greens washed and roughly chopped; 2 fillets (~150g each) sushi-quality tuna patted dry; 2 servings soba (buckwheat noodles) pre-cooked and cooled; 2 tablespoons yuzu juice or to taste; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; for garnish toasted sesame seeds; 1 teaspoon wasabi paste; 1 small cucumber thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon sake; 1 tablespoon canola oil for searing; to taste salt & pepper

A refreshing fusion, perfect for spring.

Category Main Course

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 10 minutes

Style Japanese

Technique Searing

Diet Friendly Pescatarian

Daily recipe · May 22, 2024

A little about this dish

This unique recipe incorporates the subtly bitter flavor of dandelion greens into a fusion of Japanese classics for an adventurous palette. It draws inspiration from the freshness and brightness of spring, making dandelion greens the hero, supported by sushi-grade tuna, buckwheat noodles and a delightful sesame and yuzu dressing.

Ingredients (for 2)

Dandelion greens — 2 handfuls — washed and roughly chopped
Sushi-quality tuna — 2 fillets (~150g each) — patted dry
Soba (buckwheat noodles) — 2 servings — pre-cooked and cooled
Yuzu juice — 2 tablespoons — or to taste
Sesame oil — 2 tablespoons
Toasted sesame seeds — for garnish
Wasabi paste — 1 teaspoon
Cucumber — 1 small — thinly sliced
Light soy sauce — 2 tablespoons
Yellow onion — 1/2 — thinly sliced
Sake — 1 tablespoon
Canola oil — 1 tablespoon — for searing
Salt & pepper — to taste

Preparation

Step 1 — 🐟🥣🕑

Marinate the sushi-quality tuna fillets with soy sauce, sake, and a pinch of pepper. Allow the tuna to rest and absorb the flavors for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2 — 🍋🥄👌

While the tuna is marinating, combine yuzu juice and sesame oil to prepare a refreshing and zesty dressing. Adjust the quantities to your liking.
Step 3 — 🔥🍳🐟

In a hot pan with canola oil, sear the marinated tuna fillets for 15-30 seconds on each side. Be careful to remove it while the center is still raw to keep it tender.
Step 4 — 🍴🍣🆒

Once seared, let the tuna fillets cool down. Once cool, slice them into thin, bite-sized pieces.
Step 5 — 🥗🥒🍜

Mix the soba noodles (make sure they are cooled), dandelion greens, thinly sliced cucumber, and onion in a large salad bowl. Toss gently with the yuzu-sesame dressing you prepared.
Step 6 — 🍽️🍣✨

Serve the salad on plates. Top it with the sliced seared tuna, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and garnish with a dab of wasabi. Pour any remaining dressing on the side for added flavor.

A final fox tip

This dish is a great way to incorporate wild greens into your diet and can easily be modified. Feel adventurous with the bitter dandelion greens today. For a vegetarian version, pan-fried tofu slices can replace the tuna. Children can help with mixing the salad and garnishing.