Sunomono Cucumber Salad (Japanese Sweet Vinegar Cucumber Slices)

Name: Sunomono Cucumber Salad (Japanese Sweet Vinegar Cucumber Slices)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: cucumber 220 g; rice vinegar 2 tbsp; sugar 1 tbsp; salt 0.5 tsp; soy sauce 0.5 tsp; sesame seeds 1 tsp; wakame 8 g

Quick answer

Total time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Paper-thin cucumber and wakame soak in a sweet rice vinegar dressing, and the result is cool, tangy, and very light.

Unlike many cucumber salads, it carries no garlic or chili, so the vinegar and the clean taste of cucumber come through on their own.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Slice 220 g cucumber into very thin rounds or half-moons.

Keep the thickness even, because thicker pieces season slowly and leave the salad less delicate.
2

Sprinkle the cucumber evenly with 0.5 teaspoon salt and toss gently.

Let it stand for 5 minutes, until moisture beads on the surface and the slices bend slightly without breaking.
3

Soak 8 g wakame until rehydrated, then blanch it briefly in boiling water.

When the color turns vivid green, remove it at once, cool in cold water, and cut into bite-size pieces.
4

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 0.5 teaspoon soy sauce.

Stir until no sugar grains remain, so the dressing tastes clean and evenly seasoned.
5

Press the salted cucumber firmly by hand to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Drain the wakame well, add both to the dressing, and loosen them gently with chopsticks while mixing.
6

Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and toss once more.

Chill for 5 minutes, then serve cold when the flavor tastes sharp and no watery pool has formed in the bowl.