Raspberry, Orange, and Tomato Salad with Honey-Mirin Vinaigrette

This seemingly simple salad of summer berries, citrus, radishes, and tomatoes gets a kick from a tangy, umami-rich mirin vinaigrette.

Active Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 6 to 8

This salad pairs tart raspberries, juicy mandarin orange slices, cherry tomatoes, and peppery, crunchy radishes with a tangy mirin vinaigrette that gets an umami boost from fish sauce. At first, this salad seems very simple, allowing you to taste each flavor individually. When dressed with extra vinaigrette and sprinkled with flaky salt, the flavors meet harmoniously. It’s sweet, tart, juicy, peppery, savory, and crunchy all at once.

Choose firm, ripe berries­ — too soft and they’ll break apart and take away from the salad’s simple, beautiful look. Radishes — varieties like Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe, or the Easter Egg blend—bring a sharp, crisp bite to contrast the tender fruit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is mirin?

  Mirin is a type of Japanese rice wine. It’s mildly sweet and commonly used in classic Japanese dishes like teriyaki. Traditional mirin, also called “hon-mirin,” generally contains about 14% alcohol by volume. You’ll also find lower alcohol bottles labeled “aji-mirin,” which means “tastes like mirin.” Aji-mirin is sweeter and less expensive than traditional mirin and contains about 8% alcohol by volume. Either can be used for recipes that call for mirin.

• What is a substitute for Thai chiles?

  Fresh green and red Thai chiles can be found at Asian grocery stores. If needed, you can substitute them for fresh serrano chiles or cayenne peppers.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Kikkoman Manjo Aji-Mirin is an easy-to-find mirin to try in this recipe. It can be purchased at most Asian grocery stores or online at worldmarket.com.

Make ahead

The mirin vinaigrette can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Ingredients

Mirin Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup hot water

• 2 tablespoons mirin (such as Kikkoman Manjo Aji-Mirin) 

• 2 teaspoons fish sauce

• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 2 fresh green Thai chiles, seeded, if desired, and finely chopped (about 3/4 teaspoon)

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or avocado oil

Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds ripe fresh raspberries (about 5 cups)

• 2 cups red cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces), halved crosswise

• 2 cups Sun Gold cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces), halved crosswise

• 6 mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

• 3 large radishes, very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

1. Make the vinaigrette

   Whisk together 1/4 cup hot water, mirin, fish sauce, vinegar, honey, and chiles in a small bowl. Drizzle in oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Set aside.

2. Make the salad

   Stir together raspberries, red cherry tomatoes, and Sun Gold tomatoes in a large bowl. Whisk vinaigrette to reblend, if needed. Spoon 1/4 cup vinaigrette over raspberry mixture; gently toss to coat fruit. Transfer to a large platter. Arrange orange rounds and radishes in and around berry mixture. Spoon remaining vinaigrette over top. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, June 2024