Soy-Cured Tomato Nigiri (No-Sugar Sushi-Style)

Name: Soy-Cured Tomato Nigiri (No-Sugar Sushi-Style)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Makes 10–12 nigiri
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Ingredients: 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 300 g total); 6 g kosher salt (about 1 tsp Diamond Crystal; use half if fine salt); 15 g soy sauce (1 tbsp); 5 g rice vinegar (1 tsp); 5 g neutral oil such as grapeseed or rice bran (1 tsp); Optional: 1 small piece kombu (about 2 x 5 cm); Optional: 2–3 drops toasted sesame oil (instead of some neutral oil); 300 g cooked short-grain rice (warm, not hot); 20 g rice vinegar (1 tbsp + 1 tsp); 3 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal; less if fine salt); Optional: 1 small strip kombu (to cook with rice, if you like); Wasabi (or prepared horseradish-style wasabi); 1–2 nori sheets, cut into 2 cm-wide strips; Optional: toasted sesame seeds or thin-sliced scallion tops

Judah Newman·35 min·Makes 10–12 nigiri

This is a quick, sushi-inspired way to turn ripe tomatoes into glossy, savory “netta” for nigiri—no cooking required beyond a brief blanch to slip the skins. A short salt rest firms the flesh, then a soy–rice vinegar cure adds umami and a clean acidity. Serve over warm sushi rice with a swipe of wasabi and a nori belt. It’s bright, satisfying, and great as a light lunch or appetizer.

sushi-style
no added sugar
quick
vegetarian

35 min total · 20 min prep · 15 min rest

90 kcal · 2g protein · 15g carbs · 2g fat total

small pot · bowl for ice water · wide bowl for rice · paper towels

Ingredients

Tomato “Netta”
•2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 300 g total)
•6 g kosher salt (about 1 tsp Diamond Crystal; use half if fine salt)
•15 g soy sauce (1 tbsp)
•5 g rice vinegar (1 tsp)
•5 g neutral oil such as grapeseed or rice bran (1 tsp)
•Optional: 1 small piece kombu (about 2 x 5 cm)
•Optional: 2–3 drops toasted sesame oil (instead of some neutral oil)
Rice (no added sugar)
•300 g cooked short-grain rice (warm, not hot)
•20 g rice vinegar (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
•3 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal; less if fine salt)
•Optional: 1 small strip kombu (to cook with rice, if you like)
To serve
•Wasabi (or prepared horseradish-style wasabi)
•1–2 nori sheets, cut into 2 cm-wide strips
•Optional: toasted sesame seeds or thin-sliced scallion tops

Instructions

Prep the tomatoes

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and set up a bowl of ice water.

Score a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato. Boil 10–15 seconds—just until the skin at the score starts to loosen—then plunge into ice water to stop it.

Peel the tomatoes, then slice into “nigiri slabs”: about 10–12 mm thick, with one flat face (trim a tiny sliver off one side if needed so they sit neatly on rice).

Salt-firm (this is the texture trick)

Lay tomato slabs on a plate or tray and sprinkle evenly with the salt. Rest 8–10 minutes. You’re looking for beads of liquid and a slightly darker, firmer surface.

Gently pat dry with paper towels—don’t press hard.

Quick soy cure

In a shallow dish, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, and neutral oil. Add kombu if using.

Lay tomato slabs in the cure for 3–5 minutes per side (6–10 minutes total), spooning the liquid over the tops. Stop when the tomatoes look glossy and taste savory but still fresh.

Season the rice (no added sugar)

In a small bowl, dissolve the salt into the rice vinegar. (It won’t fully dissolve like sugar would—that’s fine.)

Put warm cooked rice in a wide bowl. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over and fold with a slicing motion until the rice smells lightly vinegary and looks a touch shinier, not wet. Let stand 5 minutes to settle.

Form nigiri

Keep fingertips lightly damp. For each piece, shape about 25–30 g rice into an oval (don’t crush; it should hold together but still feel airy).

Swipe a tiny dot of wasabi on the underside of a tomato slab, drape it over the rice, and gently press to adhere.

Wrap with a nori strip (“belt”) if you want extra grip. If desired, brush with a little of the curing liquid right before serving.

Serving cues

Best eaten right away: the tomato should be glossy and savory, the rice warm, and the bite clean—not watery or mushy.

Notes

Tomato choice matters: use ripe but not fragile tomatoes; Roma or vine-ripened work well. If your tomatoes are very juicy, extend the salt rest to 12 minutes, then pat dry again before curing. For a slightly firmer, “meatier” bite, chill the cured tomato slabs for 10 minutes before assembling (but keep the rice warm). If you want a lightly torched top, torch the assembled tomato (not the rice) for 5–8 seconds until just glossy and fragrant.

Ingredients

Tomato “Netta”

•2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 300 g total)

•6 g kosher salt (about 1 tsp Diamond Crystal; use half if fine salt)

•15 g soy sauce (1 tbsp)

•5 g rice vinegar (1 tsp)

•5 g neutral oil such as grapeseed or rice bran (1 tsp)

•Optional: 1 small piece kombu (about 2 x 5 cm)

•Optional: 2–3 drops toasted sesame oil (instead of some neutral oil)

Rice (no added sugar)

•300 g cooked short-grain rice (warm, not hot)

•20 g rice vinegar (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)

•3 g kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal; less if fine salt)

•Optional: 1 small strip kombu (to cook with rice, if you like)

To serve

•Wasabi (or prepared horseradish-style wasabi)

•1–2 nori sheets, cut into 2 cm-wide strips

•Optional: toasted sesame seeds or thin-sliced scallion tops