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For a light-weight and extremely refreshing facet dish, attempt my basic Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) recipe. This crunchy salad with wakame seaweed and sweet-and-sour dressing goes with any Japanese meal. I’ll share 3 seafood variations you may attempt, too.
When cucumbers are at their peak in gardens and markets, we regularly make this refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad referred to as Sunomono (酢の物). It’s some of the well-liked dishes on the dinner desk in Japan, and it’s very straightforward to arrange shortly on any weeknight.
In case you love Japanese salads, attempt my Japanese Potato Salad, Japanese Kani Salad, and Soba Noodle Salad recipes subsequent!
What’s Sunomono?
Once we say sunomono (酢の物), we usually imply Japanese cucumber salad. Nevertheless, sunomono really refers to any dish seasoned with vinegar (su, 酢). Generally served to accompany a foremost dish, gentle and tangy vinegared dishes are an amazing begin to any meal because the sourness helps whet the urge for food. Through the warmth of summer time when our our bodies naturally gravitate in the direction of ‘cooling’ meals, refreshing and crunchy cucumber salad makes a beautiful seasonal dish, particularly alongside grilled fish or meat.
Why I Love This Recipe
- It has the proper stability of candy and tart – The dressing makes use of delicate Japanese rice vinegar and sugar for a delicate and rounded taste.
- Brings a beautiful crunchy texture to your meal – We slice and salt the Japanese cucumbers and costume them with a light-weight French dressing to boost its crunch issue.
- It’s so fast and straightforward – This salad is prepared in simply quarter-hour from begin to end! I like making this fast dish on any evening of the week.
- This basic Japanese salad goes with every part – This dish pairs fantastically with many dishes, whether or not they’re grilled, baked, fried, or simmered. It’s additionally vegan/vegetarian!
Substances for Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Japanese or Persian cucumbers
- Kosher salt
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Toasted white sesame seeds
- For the dressing:
- Rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- Sugar
- Kosher salt
- Soy sauce
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Substitutions
- Japanese or Persian cucumbers: In case you can’t discover them, English cucumbers work properly instead as they don’t have massive seeds like American cucumbers. Simply scoop out the seeds with a spoon to forestall extra moisture from diluting the dressing.
- Dried wakame seaweed: Skip it should you’re not a fan or can’t discover it, or swap it with different veggies—see my solutions beneath.
- Sesame seeds: I like their nutty aroma, however sunomono in Japan is commonly made with out them. Be at liberty to skip them.
- Soy sauce: For gluten free, use GF soy sauce.
Tips on how to Make Sunomono
Preparation
Step 1 – Make the dressing. Mix the dressing components in a saucepan and whisk over medium warmth till the sugar dissolves utterly. Alternatively, you should use a microwave-safe bowl and warmth it within the microwave. Put aside to chill.
Step 2 – Rehydrate the dried wakame seaweed. Soak it in a bowl of water for five minutes.
Step 3 – Peel, slice, and salt the cucumbers. In the meantime, use a vegetable peeler to peel the pores and skin in a striped sample and slice them thinly into rounds with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with kosher salt, gently rub it in, and put aside for five minutes.
Assemble
Step 4 – Squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out the rehydrated wakame seaweed and sliced cucumbers and add them to a medium bowl.
Step 5 – Toss within the dressing and serve instantly. Add the cooled dressing and sesame seeds and toss all of it collectively. Non-compulsory – In case you’re including one of many elective components, toss it in now.
Then, serve the salad in particular person bowls for a composed meal or in a big bowl to serve it family-style.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Select Japanese or Persian cucumbers. These varieties are perfect for their small seeds and crunchy texture. Keep away from American cucumbers that comprise large seeds and extra moisture. Their pores and skin can be waxy and thick, and that’s not ultimate 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. This ensures an amazing crunch.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the wakame seaweed and cucumbers. In case you don’t, the surplus moisture will dilute the dressing and provides the salad a bland style.
Variations and Customizations
I’ve made sunomono salad numerous occasions rising up in Japan and for my circle of relatives. I’ve made completely different variations relying on the season and the components I’ve available. Following are a couple of of my solutions on how one can change up this salad.
- Add seafood or fish. In Japan, it’s frequent to spice up the protein, diet, and taste of this dish by including seafood or fish. I extremely suggest making an attempt thinly sliced boiled octopus, shirasu (boiled child anchovies), or actual/imitation crabmeat. You’ll discover directions for incorporating these elective components on the finish of the recipe beneath—plus, don’t miss my Japanese Cucumber Salad with Crab recipe!
- Add different crunchy and colourful greens. So as to add further texture, fiber, and vitamins, attempt enhancing this salad with thinly sliced pink radish, crisp strips of orange carrot, or white or pink onion.
- Crush the sesame seeds for a special texture. I go away toasted sesame seeds entire on this recipe, however you can too grind them evenly in a mortar and pestle and blend the crushed seeds with the dressing. Try my Cucumber Salad with Sesame Soy French dressing recipe!
What to Serve with Sunomono
This refreshing salad is the proper accompaniment to many fish or meat dishes. It’s additionally a basic facet for an ichiju sansai (一汁三菜 ) Japanese meal composed of 1 soup and three dishes. Under are some iconic recipes that I recommend pairing with sunomono salad.
- With fish: The sunshine cucumber style enhances the fragile flavors of basic Miso Cod and Teriyaki Salmon.
- With meat: The crunchy, sweet-and-sour salad is a superb counterpoint to wealthy meat dishes like Baked Hen Katsu and Simmered Beef and Tofu.
- With one other facet dish: In Japanese delicacies, we regularly serve in the identical meal a wide range of plant-forward dishes like Spinach Ohitashi and Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce.
- With rice: When crispy and candy corn is in season, I like making Japanese Corn Rice.
- With soup: Hearty and comforting Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup) is a home-cooking basic that soothes the soul.
Storage Ideas
To retailer: Preserve in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 2–3 days (2 days for the seafood variations and three days for the basic model). Nevertheless, the cucumber might launch extra moisture and the sauce might get diluted, so take pleasure in it quickly!
Often Requested Questions
I don’t suggest it, as chances are you’ll discover the vinegar taste is simply too sturdy. In case you should lower the sugar quantity, please style the dressing after including the cucumbers, then you may dilute the dressing with a really small quantity of Dashi (Japanese soup inventory), Vegan Dashi, or water.
You possibly can simply prep the dressing a day or two upfront. You too can prep the cucumbers and wakame a couple of hours forward. To maintain the cucumbers crunchy, I like to recommend tossing the dressing into the components simply earlier than serving. The cucumber will launch extra moisture and the sauce might get diluted, so take pleasure in it quickly.
Sure! Set the slicer to chop skinny slices, however no so paperthin that they get broken simply when squeezed of their extra liquid.
For the Variations (Non-compulsory)
Forestall your display 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 components collectively properly (I take advantage of this whisk). As soon as the sugar dissolves utterly, take away from the warmth and let it cool. Tip: In case you lower the sugar quantity (which I do not suggest), chances are you’ll discover that the vinegar tastes too sturdy. If it is nonetheless too sturdy 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 would 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: Reduce 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. Nevertheless, 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 Notice: This publish was initially revealed on February 23, 2012. It was up to date with a brand new video and pictures on September 22, 2023, and republished with extra useful data on February 1, 2025.
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