Sunomono Recipe (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

A dark plate of thinly sliced Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono), topped with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and a small mound of grated ginger, set on a blue wooden table.

Sunomono Recipe (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Sunomono is a classic Japanese cucumber salad with wakame seaweed and a light sweet vinegar dressing, crisp, tangy, and perfectly cooling. Ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Resting Time20

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: cucumbers, japanese cucumber salad, Korean cucumber salad, sunomono, wakame

Servings:

Calories: 33kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

Sunomono

2 Japanese cucumbers or 3 Persian, or 1 English (10 to 12 ounces total)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried cut wakame optional but recommended

Dressing (Amazu)

4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Garnish

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Grated fresh ginger optional

Instructions

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not boil. Microwave option: combine in a microwave safe bowl and heat 20 to 30 seconds, then stir until the sugar dissolves.
Cool the dressing completely. Warm dressing wilts the cucumbers and you lose the crunch factor. Refrigerate it while you prep everything else.
Rehydrate the wakame (if using). Cover with cool water and soak 5 to 10 minutes. It expands about tenfold. Drain and squeeze dry.
Slice the cucumbers paper thin, about 1/16 inch. A mandoline is very helpful. Toss with the ½ teaspoon salt and let sit 10 minutes.
Squeeze the cucumbers firmly in your hands to drain excess liquid. Rinse under cold water, squeeze again, then pat dry. Important for crunchy versus soft bites.
Combine the cucumbers and wakame in a bowl and toss with the cooled dressing. Chill 15 to 20 minutes.
Top with sesame seeds and a small mound of grated ginger. Serve with a slotted spoon to let excess dressing drip back and not onto your plate.

Notes

Crumble the wakame in your fingers a bit before rehydrating. This gets you smaller pieces rather than long ribbons of seaweed, for a more even bite.

Heat Factor: Mild. There is no heat in the base recipe. For a spicy touch, sprinkle chili flakes over the top, or drizzle with chili crisp or rayu (Japanese chili oil). Shichimi togarashi or a bit of yuzu kosho whisked into the dressing both work great.

Seafood Variations: Add 4 ounces shredded imitation crab (kani), 4 ounces thinly sliced cooked octopus (tako), or 4 to 6 ounces halved cooked shrimp (ebi) after dressing.

Storage: Best the day you make it. Keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 days, though the cucumbers soften as they sit.

Nutrition