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
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 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

Category Main Course

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 10 minutes

Style Japanese

Technique Searing

Diet Friendly Pescatarian

Daily Recipe: May 22, 2024

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.

Additional

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.