Tomato, basil and chili crisp salad

New

Salad

Serves 2-4

Prep 20 min

Tomatoes are one of the most naturally umami-rich ingredients there is. The dressing here (the soy, sesame, and mirin) leans hard into that. Use the best tomatoes you can find, a mix of heirloom and regular if possible, and baby or Lebanese cucumbers over regular ones, which tend to have too much water. A mandoline makes short work of the slicing. Dress just before serving.

Ingredients

3-5	baby cucumbers, thinly sliced (100g)
650g	good quality tomatoes, cut into 2cm sized pieces
1	small shallot, thinly sliced (about 50g)
2 tbsp	olive oil
2 tbsp	rice vinegar
1 tbsp	light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp	toasted sesame oil, plus 1 tsp to finish
1 tbsp	mayonnaise
1 tbsp	honey
1 tsp	mirin
7g	picked Thai basil leaves (or regular basil)
1 tbsp	crispy chili oil or peanut rayu
	Fine sea salt

Method

1. Add the tomatoes, cucumber and shallot with 1 ½ teaspoon of salt to a colander set over a bowl and set aside to drain for at least 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the remaining ingredients, except the basil, in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, shallots and cucumber to the dressing along with the basil and toss well.

3. To serve, arrange on a platter and drizzle over the chilli oil and sesame oil.