Japanese-Style Tuna Noodle Salad

Recipe from Bart van Olphen

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated March 24, 2020

Japanese-Style Tuna Noodle Salad
Jenny Huang for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Beatrice Chastka.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,757)
Comments
Read comments

Here’s a simple udon salad I picked up from the chef and entrepreneur Bart van Olphen, who elevates canned tuna to the heights of deliciousness. Van Olphen dresses the noodles in what he calls wafu dressing, which translates roughly as Japanese-style: a sweet-salty vinaigrette of soy, sesame oil, mirin and rice vinegar. I add a little sweet miso for texture and taste, and increase the amount of seaweed in the salad as well. Garnish with sesame seeds or furikake, the Japanese seasoning blend, and you have a superior tuna casserole. It is as good served cold as hot. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: Everyone’s Talking About Canned Tuna. Here’s How to Make It Delicious.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Salad

    • ¼cup cut dried wakame seaweed
    • 8ounces dried udon noodles (or whatever noodles you have on hand)
    • 1 to 2tablespoons furikake or sesame seeds
    • 10 to 12ounces tuna in oil, drained
    • 2scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

    For the Dressing

    • 2tablespoons sesame oil
    • 2tablespoons canola oil
    • 2tablespoons rice wine vinegar
    • 1tablespoon mirin
    • 1tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1teaspoon sweet miso
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

521 calories; 23 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 605 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high, and set the wakame in a small bowl. Once the water comes to a boil, ladle or pour enough over the wakame to cover it by 2 inches; let the wakame soak for 10 minutes. Transfer the wakame to a colander to drain and cool; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    While the wakame soaks, cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk to combine the sesame oil, canola oil, rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce and miso; set aside.

  4. Step 4

    In a small skillet, lightly toast the sesame seeds, if using, over medium-low heat until fragrant; set aside.

  5. Step 5

    Drain the cooked noodles in the colander, then transfer to a wide, shallow serving bowl. Add the wakame and about ¾ of the dressing, and toss to coat. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each portion with tuna, drizzle with the remaining dressing, then sprinkle with the scallions and furikake or sesame seeds. Serve hot, cold or anywhere in between.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,757 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Bernice Glenn

For even more canned fish recipes check out Tin Fish Gourmet by Barbara=Jo McIntosh. Subtitled Great Seafood from Cupboard to Table. With recipes from Anchovies to Tuna, included is a tuna-pasta shell salad with peas, scallions, and diced red pepper in a vinaigrette dressing. Recipes in the book are varied and well described.

Tevan

Made this for my Japanese girlfriend and said that it mostly resembled what her mom makes, my ultimate barometer. She recommended just a pinch of sugar and a few more slivered vegetables (carrots and peppers) to add, which made it a truly excellent salad. Didn’t have any scallions so I quick-pickled some shallots in rice vinegar and they were a great topping. Hope everyone is staying healthy.

Cheryl

I haven't made this yet, but I do cook with wakame. For a couple of bowls of miso soup, I use maybe 1/2 tsp. 1/4 cup of dried wakame, once hydrated, should give you enough to make this salad for 20 people, not 4.

Anila

Made this as directed, but added a tin of sardines with oil as well as tuna as mine were in water. Added a splash of toasted sesame oil to sauce. Delicious and easy. Might add a little chili spice next time (I know, not very Japanese- maybe some fresh ginger instead). I cook for vegetarians- any suggestions on sub for the fish? Tofu marinated in the sauce? Chopped hard boiled eggs?

Korin

This is in our rotation, it's so easy and fast. It's better with tuna in oil, but still excellent with tuna in water. It's good with dried noodles, fresh noodles, even spaghetti noodles. I usually make it with extra wakame, about a third of a cup instead of a quarter, and make a little extra sauce because yum.

Robin

Sauce was good enough to go with shredded chicken, firm or soft tofu, ground pork - but for us it didn’t do much for the canned tuna, so next time we’ll try it with one of the other ingredients.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from the “The Tinned Fish Cookbook” by Bart van Olphen (The Experiment Publishing, 2020)

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.