Japanese · Salad · Free recipe
Sunomono-Style Cucumber Salad
Thin cucumber slices meet a sweet-sour rice-vinegar dressing and toasted sesame.
- Active preparation
- 15 min
- Cooking
- No cooking
- Makes
- 4
- Additional time
- Salt: 10 min; chill: 10 min
At the table
A home-kitchen version.
Thin cucumber slices take on a sweet-sour rice-vinegar dressing in this sunomono-style side dish. A short salting stage draws out excess moisture before the dressing is added.
The result should be lightly dressed, not swimming in diluted cucumber water. Toasted sesame finishes the salad, and wakame is an optional addition in the source recipe.
The recipe
Sunomono-Style Cucumber Salad
Makes 4
Timings are guidance for the original amount. Allow extra time for additional batches, resting or chilling; follow the method and doneness checks.
Ingredients
Equipment
Mandoline or knife; sieve; mixing bowl
Allergen notes
Soy, sesame; wheat in many soy sauces
Method
Slice evenly. Cut the cucumber into thin rounds about 2 mm thick. A mandoline is useful only if used with its hand guard. Place the slices in a sieve and toss with the measured salt.
Draw out water. Leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze gently in small handfuls. Do not crush the slices into a pulp. If using dried wakame, soak it separately for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze.
Mix the dressing. Stir rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Use unseasoned rice vinegar, or reduce the added sugar and salt according to the contents of a seasoned product.
Dress. Add the drained cucumber and optional wakame to the bowl. Fold with chopsticks or two spoons until coated. The dressing should lightly surround the slices, not bury them under a large volume of liquid.
Chill briefly. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to refresh and lightly season the cucumber. Stir once before serving; liquid naturally settles underneath. Longer storage softens the slices rather than making them crisper.
Finish. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and divide into four small portions. Serve chilled as a side dish. This is a fresh dressed salad, not a preserve intended for long storage at room temperature.
Use doneness checks rather than appearance alone. FoodSafety.gov temperature guidance.
Small details, better results
Before you cook
- Slice the cucumber evenly so the salting stage works consistently.
- Rice vinegar has a different flavour from strong distilled vinegar; do not swap them in equal amounts without adjusting the dressing.
Common questions
Why salt the cucumber first?
Salting draws out some moisture. Draining it before dressing helps prevent the salad from becoming watery.
Is wakame required?
No. It is optional in this version; the cucumber, dressing and sesame form the core salad.
Explore the full country collection
A Taste of Japan
This is one of 30 recipes in our Japan-inspired PDF cookbook. Preview the book before choosing your next kitchen adventure.
English PDF · Digital download, not a physical book. Etsy purchases do not unlock the DishRoam app.
Find this dish in
