Shiso Salad with Blood Oranges and Avocado

Shiso Salad is perfect if you are looking to add some exotic flavour to your dinner table. Given an Asian note as we tossed it with sesame oil, lime and furikake.

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Shiso salad on white plate with shiso leaves and orange halves on the side.

If you have run across this vibrantly coloured and aromatic leaf at your Asian greengrocer and want to know what you can do with it, then you have come to the right place! Shiso is great in salads as it adds some fragrant spiciness.

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What is Shiso Leaf?

Shiso leaf is also known as Asian Purple Mint; it has a mild aroma with hints of basil and mint with a mildly spicy aftertaste.

It has broad, oval-shaped, and wrinkly leaves with serrated edges. The leaves are green on one side and purplish on the other.

Are Shiso and Perilla the Same?

Shiso is smaller, mintier, and spicier than perilla, which has broad rounded leaves and a slight liquorice grassy flavour.

Let’s Talk Ingredients and Substitutions

Shiso Leaf – the star of this salad, it truly adds an exotic note with its aromatic flavour and spicy note. As an alternative, try a mix of Thai basil and mint or Perilla leaf.
Cukes – or baby cucumbers add a cooling element to this salad and a delightful sweet crunch. You can use any cucumbers that you have on hand, preferably Lebanese or Persian cucumbers, as they have fewer seeds.
Blood Oranges – used in this salad for the brilliant colour and their sweet, bitter tartness. You can substitute them with pink grapefruit.
Oranges – in this salad for their wonderful juicy sweetness, as an alternative, try mandarins, tangerines, or tangelos (a tangerine and orange hybrid).
Avocado – used for its wonderful creaminess and healthy fats, which boost the satiety in this salad, making you feel fuller for longer. If you are not a fan, try adding some nuts such as roasted cashews or peanuts instead.
Coriander/Cilantro – has a citrusy, sweet taste like a combination between parsley and citrus. If you fall in the camp that hates it, then try replacing it here with some flat-leaf parsley leaves instead.
Furikake – Furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning made with dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt. Find it at Asian supermarkets or speciality spice shops. You may use a combination of some black sesame seeds, bonito flakes or shredded seaweed instead.
Dressing – Our dressing has an Asian note made with a combination of seasoned rice vinegar, lime and orange juice, neutral oil and some sesame oil. If you want to keep it simple, try a combination of lime or lemon juice and oil (⅓ oil to ¼ cup lime/lemon).

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare Ingredients

Wash the oranges, cut off the ends, slice the peel close to the flesh to avoid the pith. Cut off any remaining white pith, then slice into rounds.

HANDS TRIMMING PITH FROM BLOOD ORANGE ON WOODEN BOARD

HANDS SLICING BLOOD ORANGES INTO ROUNDS WITH A KNIFE ON WOODEN BOARD, PEEL ON SIDE

Wash and trim your cukes and slice them into rounds.

HANDS TRIMMING CUKES ON WOODEN BOARD WITH A KNIFE

HANDS SLICING CUKES INTO ROUNDS ON WOODEN BOARD

Wash your coriander/cilantro, shake to remove excess water, then either pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or spin dry in a salad spinner. Pick the leaves from the stems to get half a cup.

Wash your avocados, remove the pit and slice thinly crosswise.

CHOPPED CORIANDER ON WOODEN BOARD WITH KNIFE

HANDS SLICING AVOCADO HORIZONTALLY ON WOODEN BOARD

Cut the shiso leaves from the stems and place them in a colander.

Wash them under gently cold running water in the sink, tap the colander on the edge of the sink to remove excess water.

Then either pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or spin dry in a salad spinner.

Keep one cup of whole leaves, then cut the rest chiffonade style to make half a cup. To do this, stack a few at a time on top of each other, roll them into a cigar shape and slice thinly into ribbons.

HANDS ROLLING SHISO INTO A CIGAR ON WOODEN BOARD

HANDS THINLY SLICING SHISO ON WOODEN BOARD

Step 2 – Shake Up Dressing

Place all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar or tightly sealed container.

Season and shake well until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your liking.

SHISO DRESSING INGREDIENTS IN JAR & SCATTERED

SHAKEN SHISO DRESSING WITH SCATTERED INGREDIENTS

Step 3 – Assemble Salad

Place all the prepared ingredients in a large mixing bowl (do not add the furikake), season, then pour over the dressing and mix well to combine.

SHISO SALAD INGREDIENTS WITH DRESSING IN GLASS BOWL

MIXING SHISO SALAD IN GLASS BOWL WITH SPOON

Arrange in a salad bowl, sprinkle the furikake on top to garnish and serve.

SHISO SALAD ON WHITE PLATE WITH FURIKAKE ON TOP

What to Serve It With

I love this salad with an Asian Style Pork Belly or some sticky Asian Chicken wings. If you prefer to keep things simple, then try some grilled chicken or a perfectly cooked steak.

Tips and Questions

Can I Make It Ahead?

Once this your Shiso Salad has been dressed, then it is best to serve it immediately. To make it an hour in advance, prepare the salad, just before serving cut up the avocado and toss it with the dressing just before serving.
The dressing can be made the day before and then tossed through the salad.

What Can I Do With The Leftovers?

While the leaves may have wilted and the avocado may have discoloured slightly, you can still eat this salad the following day it will just be a bit soggy.

What Diets Is Shiso Salad Suitable For?

Shiso Salad is suitable for dairy and nut free, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, Mediterranean, and Paleo.

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Shiso Salad with Blood Oranges and Avocado