Recipes: How Not-to Eat Natto Straight

Inari sushi is like Japanese PBJ; a sweet/savory healthy kid favorite. Inari are sweet, fried tofu skin pockets that are filled with sushi rice (purple rice here) topped with natto & scallions with pickled daikon radish & carrots. 

Natto in temaki (handroll) sushi with rice, salad vegetables and edible flowers makes a beautiful vegan party snack. Try adding other sushi roll fillings you like!

Traditional Japanese breakfast bowl of natto whipped up with soy sauce and chopped scallions, topped with a raw egg yolk & seaweed

Slip some natto onto a burger or sandwich to add some fermented  umami to familiar foods; this one's a vegan burgerByChloe. Think of natto like a flavorful vegan cheese and use it accordingly!

Natto blends surprisingly well with many global cuisines, like Indian food! The South Asian flavors & aromatic spices complement this natto on Basmati rice with all vegan Sag Paneer, Chana Masala & Aloo Matar @Jackson Dinerin Queens NYC.

Natto goes very well with eggs; my favorite is atop deviled eggs. These boiled eggs were soaked in beet brine overnight before deviling them up pretty in pink! Japanese twist on an American classic.

Avocado toast is having a moment, basking in the sun on beet hummus on gluten-free bread (byFreeBread) with natto on shiso leaf. 

Natto is a great plant-based addition to pasta dishes, like this homemade spin on Cacio e Pepe. Simple spaghetti tossed with plenty of Parmesan cheese, fresh cracked pepper, natto & blanched broccoli rabe leaves and flowers.

Sweet summer corn off the cob roasted briefly in the oven with olive oil and topped with natto, Mexican cotija cheese, cilantro & a splash of lime juice. So simply delicious! Natto is such a versatile topping for any simple vegetable side dish just like, or instead of, cheese.

Natto nestles nicely into a bed of creamy mashed potato with baked Alaskan salmon with savory teriyaki glaze 

Natto blends well with all sorts of Middle Eastern mezze dips like this hummus (@Dizengoff's NYC) drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and Israeli salad of tomatoes, cucumber and parsley to be scooped up with fresh, warm pita bread.

Sweet summer corn off the cob roasted briefly in the oven with olive oil and topped with natto, Mexican cotija cheese, cilantro & a splash of lime juice. So simply delicious! Natto is such a versatile topping for any simple vegetable side dish just like, or instead of, cheese.

French onion soup with natto = a revelation. The mouthwatering flavors of caramelized onion and melted Gruyere cheese go so perfectly with the fermented umami goodness of natto! Try it in other savory soups too.

Cornmeal polenta is such a quick and easy meal--simply boil and stir for five minutes in water or broth (here I used a miso base) and you have a delicious, spoonable meal topped here with natto, summer heirloom tomatoes, figs, basil & Parmesan. Yum