Recipes › Tomato (Beefsteak) › Korean-Style Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Gochujang Dressing
Korean-Style Beefsteak Tomato Salad with Gochujang Dressing
Thick-cut beefsteak tomatoes dressed in a punchy mix of gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar — this is a side dish that can hold its own on the table. The tomatoes are left in generous slabs so they soak up the dressing without going mushy, and the whole thing comes together in under fifteen minutes. It is bold, a little spicy and unexpectedly addictive alongside grilled meat or rice.
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Ingredients
- 800 g Tomato (Beefsteak), sliced into 1.5cm rounds
- 1½ tbsp gochujang pasteuse a gluten-free certified brand if required — check the label as some contain wheat
- 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tamari soy sauceuse a certified gluten-free tamari to keep this gluten-free
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 cm fresh root ginger, finely grated
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt
Contains: cereals gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites.
Method
- Whisk together the gochujang, sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar, caster sugar, garlic and ginger in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved and the dressing is smooth. Taste it — it should be spicy, salty, tangy and slightly sweet. Adjust as needed.About 3 min
- Arrange the sliced beefsteak tomatoes in a single overlapping layer on a wide, shallow serving plate. Season lightly with the flaky salt.About 3 min
- Spoon the dressing evenly over the tomatoes. Do not toss — you want the slices to stay intact and the dressing to pool in the gaps between them.About 2 min
- Scatter the spring onions and toasted sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately, or leave to sit for 5 minutes so the tomatoes absorb some of the dressing.About 1 min
Tips
- Gochujang brands vary significantly in heat level. If yours is very hot, start with 1 tablespoon and taste before adding more.
- Slice the tomatoes thickly — 1.5cm is the minimum. Thin slices turn to mush and cannot support the weight of the dressing.
- This salad is best eaten within 20 minutes of dressing. The tomatoes will weep and the dressing will become watery if left much longer.
Ring the changes
- Add 100g of cold shredded rotisserie chicken on top to turn this into a light main course.
- Swap gochujang for a mix of 1 teaspoon of miso paste and 1 teaspoon of chilli bean paste if gochujang is unavailable.
Keeping it
Best eaten on the day. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 1 day but the tomatoes will soften and the dressing will thin. Not suitable for freezing.
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