Tomato Salad with Soy Sauce

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all the ingredients you'll need. Use fleshy, field-grown tomatoes; I recommend choosing them by smell — good ones have a bright tomato aroma. Pay special attention to the soy sauce — don't chase the lowest price; choose a naturally fermented soy sauce. Use ordinary 6–9% table vinegar; you can also use apple cider or grape vinegar. If you have vinegar essence, dilute it 1:8 (8 parts water to 1 part essence).

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the tomatoes well, dry them, and remove the stems. Cut the tomatoes into rounds about 5 mm thick.

3. Step 3:

   

   Arrange the tomato rounds in an overlapping circle on a serving plate.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion and cut it into thin half-rings.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cover the onion with boiling water and leave it for about 5 minutes. After this scalding, the onion loses some of its sharpness and becomes milder.

6. Step 6:

   

   Then drain the water and lightly squeeze the onion.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pile the onion in the center.

8. Step 8:

   

   Wash and chop the green onion and sprinkle it over the tomatoes and onion.

9. Step 9:

   

   For the dressing, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and vegetable oil. Since the oil is just for the dressing, you can use any kind, even unrefined. Olive oil or fragrant sunflower oil works perfectly!

10. Step 10:

    

    Add sugar to taste. The sugar will make the dressing's flavor more balanced.

11. Step 11:

    

    Peel the garlic, mince it, and add it to the dressing. I pressed a clove through a garlic press, but you can grate the garlic on a fine grater or chop it with a knife.

12. Step 12:

    

    Chop the walnuts a bit (I roll a rolling pin over them and they crush beautifully). Add the nuts to the dressing.

13. Step 13:

    

    Mix and taste the dressing. If you like, add a little salt. I don't salt it, since soy sauce is salty enough as it is.

14. Step 14:

    

    Pour the dressing over the salad and let it sit for 7–10 minutes.

15. Step 15:

    

    This salad goes wonderfully with meat, fish, and poultry dishes. And in summer it makes a great dish all on its own! Enjoy!