Nourish: Shabu Shabu Salad

NourishJune 23, 2025

As the days grow warmer and meals get lighter, this shabu shabu salad is the kind of dish you’ll find yourself craving.

Cool, crisp vegetables meet just-cooked slices of tender pork. It’s all brought together with a sesame-ginger dressing that’s nutty, tangy, and sweet - flavors that feel both refreshing and comforting at once. Light enough for lunch, satisfying enough as a side for dinner, and especially perfect when you don’t feel like turning on the stove for long.

Serve it with a glass of chilled barley tea or a splash of sake, we hope summer is off to a great start for you.

Ingredients

Salad Base Ingredients

2 cups shredded lettuce
½ cucumber, thinly sliced into strips
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
A handful of radishes, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients

½ tablespoon of grated roasted white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
½ teaspoon of sugar (or preferred sweetener)
1⅓ tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of mirin
½ teaspoon of whole sesame seeds

Shabu Shabu Pork Ingredients

2 cups water
200g thinly sliced pork (shabu shabu cut)
Salt

Steps

Start by whisking together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavors meld.
In a pot, bring 2 cups of water to a gentle simmer and swish the pork slices through the water one at a time until just cooked, then set aside into a bowl of iced water to cool down.
Arrange the shredded lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and radishes on a large plate or shallow bowl, then layer the pork slices on top.
Drizzle generously with the sesame-ginger dressing and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.