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Fall

Toasted Sesame and Furikake Cabbage Salad

January 21, 2025
5 5 out of 5 stars /
1 Ratings5 total ratings /
Photo by Justin Sullivan
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I recently wrote a piece describing how to get to snowy, paper-thin sliced cabbage with just a knife. And though it goes great with katsu or on a sandwich: this is my absolute go to recipe to make once I've plowed through a whole head.

It is my adaptation of a the bari salad from a Japanese restaurant in my neighborhood called Ozakaya. Its made up of cabbage, “assorted seaweed”, and shiso leaf.

But it’s the dressing—a supremely nutty and creamy roasted sesame mixture—that really takes the dish to the next level. You can put it on anything, from crudites to skirt steak. After a bit of research, I discovered that this style of mayo-based sesame dressing is super common in Japan, and brands like Kikkoman and Kewpie make incredible bottled versions. But it’s also *super* easy to make it at home with ingredients you very well may have in your pantry.

I simplified the salad itself by swapping out the seaweeds and shiso for furikake. I love furikake and probably go overboard with how much I put in here, but it just adds such a necessary bit of crunch as well as a little oceanic, brine-y taste that really goes nicely with the sesame. Plus, it makes this salad even easier to whip up once you have it in your pantry. —Justin Sullivan

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Toasted Sesame and Furikake Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup Japanese mayo
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 medium green cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons furikake, plus more for garnish
Directions
  1. Add the sesame seeds to a large skillet and set over medium heat. Toast, tossing frequently, until deeply golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until sandy in texture. There should still be some whole seeds present in the mixture.
  2. In a medium bowl combine the crushed seeds, mayo, rice vinegar, tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Whisk until fully combined, then set aside.
  3. Add the cabbage to a very large bowl and sprinkle over with your desired amount of furikake and dressing. Toss thoroughly until the cabbage is fully coated, transfer to a platter, top with more furikake and serve.

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