Want some cucumber inspiration? Strive Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) that’s mild, wholesome, and extremely refreshing! This candy and bitter cucumber salad with wakame seaweed makes a flexible facet dish to serve with any Japanese meal.
When cucumbers are at their peak in gardens and markets, we frequently discover a couple of lingering round on the kitchen counter. In case you are in want of some cucumber inspiration in the present day, I hope you do that refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad known as Sunomono (酢の物). This is without doubt one of the hottest appetizers on the dinner desk in Japan, and it’s easy and really simple to arrange in a short while.
What’s Sunomono?
Sunomono (酢の物) refers to vinegar-based dishes, and they’re generally served as a facet dish to the primary meal. These mild refreshing vinegar salads are an ideal begin to any meal because the sourness from the vinegar helps whet your urge for food.
”Su (酢)” means vinegar in Japanese, and after we point out “sunomono,” it sometimes refers to Japanese cucumber salad. Through the warmth of summer time and our our bodies naturally gravitate in direction of ‘cooling’ meals, this cucumber salad makes a beautiful seasonal facet dish, particularly for grilled fish or meat.
It’s tangy, crunchy, and really easy to whip up. Plus, its well being advantages are ok causes to take pleasure in on a weekly foundation.
Make Japanese Cucumber Salad
The Components You’ll Want
- Japanese or Persian cucumbers
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Toasted white sesame seeds
- Dressing: rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and salt
Substitutions
- Japanese cucumbers will be substituted with Persian cucumbers. Each of them don’t comprise massive seeds like American cucumbers. When you can’t discover Japanese or Persian cucumbers, you should use an English cucumber, however scoop out the seeds with a spoon as a result of seeds comprise moisture that may dilute the dressing.
- You may skip dried wakame seaweed for those who’re not a fan. You may learn its well being advantages in case you’re . Couldn’t discover wakame seaweed? Strive thinly sliced onion, radish, or carrots for a layer of texture and for extra vitamins.
The Cooking Steps
- Rehydrate dried wakame seaweed in water for five minutes.
- Lower the cucumbers into skinny slices. Sprinkle the salt and distribute it evenly. Put aside for five minutes.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers.
- Make the dressing. Warmth the dressing elements in a saucepan till the sugar is dissolved.
- Mix the well-drained seaweed and cucumber, sesame seeds, and dressing, and blend all of them collectively. Serve and revel in!
3 Cooking Suggestions
- Select Japanese or Persian cucumbers. Keep away from American cucumbers that comprise massive seeds and extra moisture. Their pores and skin can be waxy and thick, which isn’t supreme for this salad.
- Generously salt the cucumbers. The salt helps draw out the moisture from the cucumbers so it doesn’t dilute the salad dressing after mixing. This ensures an ideal crunch for the salad.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers. When you don’t, the dressing shall be diluted and the salad may have a bland style.
Non-Vegetarian Variations
The recipe under exhibits the fundamental methodology of constructing sunomono. You may simply change issues up and make variations of the salad by including the next:
- Crab meat – I’m sadly allergic to crab, so I used imitation crab meat on this recipe. I’ve a variation of the recipe right here.
- Boiled octopus – I purchase boiled octopus from a Japanese grocery retailer. It’s offered within the sashimi part and the package deal often says “octopus sashimi.” You simply want to chop it into very skinny slices. I’ve a variation of the recipe right here.
- Shirasu (boiled child anchovies) – Child anchovies are generally utilized in Japan, and they’re wealthy in calcium. When you reside by the ocean and have entry to anchovies, it is best to give this a strive!
- Floor sesame seeds to the dressing – I’ve a variation right here that I used spiralized cucumbers.
Benefit from the excellent steadiness of candy and bitter on this scrumptious cucumber salad!
What to Serve with Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Fundamental: Miso Cod, Baked Hen Katsu, Simmered Beef and Tofu, Teriyaki Salmon.
- Sides: Spinach Ohitashi, Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce, Pickled Tomato,
- Rice: Japanese Mushroom Rice, Japanese Corn Rice, Takikomi Hijiki Gohan.
- Soup: Kabocha Miso Soup, Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup), Chilly Miso Soup.
If you wish to take a look at different Japanese facet dish recipes, learn 15 Straightforward Japanese Aspect Dish Recipes.
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For the Variations (Optionally available)
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
To Make the Dressing
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In a saucepan, mix 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 2 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ½ tsp soy sauce. Alternatively, you should use a microwave-safe bowl and warmth it within the microwave till the sugar dissolves.
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Place the saucepan over medium warmth and whisk the elements collectively effectively. As soon as the sugar dissolves utterly, take away from the warmth and let it cool. Tip: When you lower the sugar quantity (which I do not suggest), you might discover that the vinegar tastes too robust. If it is nonetheless too robust for you after including the cucumbers, you may dilute it at this stage with a really small quantity of Dashi (Japanese soup inventory), Vegan Dashi, or water.
To Make the Sunomono
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Soak 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed in a bowl of water and let it rehydrate for five minutes.
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In the meantime, peel the pores and skin of 2 Japanese cucumbers alternately to create a striped sample. Then, thinly slice the cucumbers into rounds.
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Sprinkle 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the cucumber and gently therapeutic massage it in. Put aside for five minutes. The salt attracts out the moisture from the cucumbers so it does not dilute the dressing later.
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Use your hand(s) to squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and add it to a medium bowl.
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Squeeze out the liquid from the cucumber slices. Add them to the bowl with the wakame.
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Add ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and pour the dressing on high.
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Toss to mix every part collectively. Serve in particular person bowls or a big serving bowl.
To Make the Variations
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Crabmeat: Lower 4 items actual or imitation crabmeat into thirds lengthwise. Add to the cucumber and wakame seaweed combination in Step 7. Boiled octopus: Slice 2 oz octopus sashimi (boiled octopus) thinly. Add in Step 7. Boiled salted child anchovies: Add 2 Tbsp shirasu (boiled salted child anchovies) in Step 7.
To Retailer
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Preserve in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 days for the basic model and a couple of days for the seafood variations. Nonetheless, the cucumber might launch extra moisture and dilute the sauce, so take pleasure in it quickly!
Energy: 39 kcal · Carbohydrates: 5 g · Protein: 3 g · Fats: 1 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 1 g · Ldl cholesterol: 11 mg · Sodium: 151 mg · Potassium: 106 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 55 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 30 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Editor’s Be aware: This publish was initially printed on February 23, 2012. It was republished with a brand new video and pictures and extra useful info on September 22, 2023.
