Natto Toast with Cheese and Cabbage

There are so many ways to enjoy natto, and toast is one of our favorites! Layer sautéed cabbage, natto, and mozzarella cheese over milk bread (or any bread you have on hand). Then toast, eat, and enjoy! It's delicious mix of melty cheese, sweet cabbage, and natto. Great for breakfast or a quick and easy lunch.

Why This Recipe Works

We love natto!

Did you see our recent recipe for Natto Egg Toast? This is another version of natto toast. And this time we're doing it with sautéed cabbage and mozzarella cheese! There are endless ways to enjoy natto and we hope you will love this one as well.

We layer cabbage, natto, and mozzarella on toast. Then toast and it. It really is that simple.

The only "cooking" you need to do is sautéing the shredded cabbage until it's nice and soft.

The sweetness from the cabbage pairs so well with the stronger, bold flavors of natto. And savory mozzarella cheese just puts it over the top!

This recipe is very flexible in terms of ratios. Use more or less of any the ingredients. Extra cheese? Ok! Extra natto? Yes, please! Feel free to switch up the bread (though it really is extra delicious with milk bread/shokupan).

What Is Natto?

Natto is made from whole and fermented soybeans. It’s is brown in color, and quite sticky and slimy. Natto is very healthy. It’s has a strong smell and flavor. Some people say that natto is an acquired taste. We say it’s super delicious ^_^

You can buy natto at most Japanese supermarkets. It's usually in the refrigerated or freezer section. Natto is often sold in a three pack container (each container is a single serving). I've seen prices range from $5-7 for the three pack.

Each natto container comes with two seasoning packets. One packet contains the natto sauce (which is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin or sugar, and dashi). The other packet contains a Japanese mustard called karashi.

To prepare the natto, mix both of the seasoning packets with the natto. Use a pair of chopsticks or a fork to mix/whip the natto until it’s well blended with the seasonings and you can see lots of sticky “strings" all over the natto.

The more you mix/whip, the more “strings” there will be. The "strings" can get all over the place if you're not careful, so take care when mixing 😉

Natto is often eaten with a bowl of rice, but you should definitely try it on toast.

If you haven’t tried natto, this recipe (along with our Natto Egg Toast) is a good introduction to natto. Why? Because cooking the natto (which we do by toasting ) makes the strong natto flavor slightly more mild.

If you already love natto? This recipe will make you love it even more.

We enjoy natto so much in Hawaii that there is even an annual natto festival where restaurants offer special dishes made from natto. Local restaurants prepare everything from natto lumpia to natto loco moco to natto honey toast!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need:

• Toast - We use milk bread (aka shokupan), but you can use any type of bread you have available. Milk bread can be found at most Asian bakeries. In Hawaii, you can also find milk bread at many supermarekts.
• Green cabbage, shredded
• Natto (40-50 gram box)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Dried green laver (aonori) - Optional, but adds a nice touch! You can also use it to finish other dishes like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and yakisoba. Can be found at Japanese markets.

Now let's get toasting ^_^

Step by Step Directions

Here are the directions with photos:

First, sauté the shredded cabbage. Add a little oil to a medium sized pan and sauté the cabbage over medium-high heat. You want to get the cabbage softened and maybe even a little browned. Remove the cabbage onto a plate and let it cool.

Next, prepare the natto. Open the container of natto. Inside the container there should be two different sauce packets. (One packet has a mixture of soy sauce, mirin or sugar, and dashi. The other is mustard).

Pour the two packets over the natto and use chopsticks or fork to mix/whip it well.

Place the two slices of bread on a cutting board or plate. Divide the sautéed cabbage between the two slices of bread. There should be enough to apply a thin layer of cabbage on the toast. Spread it as close to the edge as you can.

Top the cabbage with the prepared natto. I like to use chopsticks to help evenly distribute the natto over the cabbage.

Then top the natto with shredded mozzarella! Use can you as much or as little mozzarella as you like.

Now we toast our creation! The exact toasting time/temperature will depend on your specific toaster. We use a Balmuda (it's pricey but we love this toaster oven and use it daily) and toast at 350F for 3 minutes. Then 450F for another 3 minutes.

Remove the toast from the toaster oven and sprinkle with the dried green laver (aonori). This aonori is optional but is a very nice touch. You can also sprinkle some shichimi togarashi on top if you'd like!

Eat and enjoy ^_^

FAQs and Tips

Natto Cheese Cabbage Toast Recipe