Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

Looking for a quick and refreshing side dish? Try this amazingly simple cucumber salad! Lightly dressed in a combination of soy, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, sesame oil and roasted sesame seeds, this sweet and tangy cucumber salad that comes together in five minutes.

What is Sunomono?

Sunomono refers to vinegar-based foods. These refreshing vinegar salads serve as a great appetizer before the main meal, a palate cleanser between bites, or a healthy refreshing side dish to cool down.

Sunomono is one of the most popular appetizers in Japanese restaurants. You can make sunomono with any vegetable. But when we see “Sunomono” on a menu, it often refers to a Japanese cucumber salad. This Japanese cucumber salad is crunchy, healthy, and awesome for those who loves cucumbers.

Getting the Right Cucumber

There are many types of cucumbers at the grocery store. For sunomono, it’s best to use Japanese cucumbers for their crunchy texture and seedless flesh. If you can’t find Japanese cucumbers, use English or Persian cucumbers.

Do not use regular (American) cucumbers. They have big seeds and a waxy thick skin that is too bitter for this side dish. Plus, they just don’t taste good, which is why they are often cheaper than other varieties.

What are Japanese Cucumbers?

Japanese cucumbers, known as Kyuri in Japanese, are shorter than English cucumbers (the ones often found vaccuumed-sealed with plastic) but a bit longer than Persian cucumbers. The skin is vibrant green with a mild to sweet flavor. Just like the Persian and English cucumbers, it’s best to not peel them.

Salting the Cucumbers

Salting the cucumber helps remove excess liquid from the cucumber, which in turn provides a great crunch for the salad. However, if you are planning to serve right away, you can skip this step. The recipe below excludes salting.

Cutting the Cucumbers

Use a mandolin slicer for perfectly uniform slices. You can also use a food processor with the right disc, or even a vegetable peeler.

If you have none of those kitchen gadgets, simply use a sharp chef knife (my favorite knife!) to try your best at uniform slices. Slice at an angle to expose the flesh more. This also makes a beautiful presentation.

Make the Dressing

The dressing is simple, but oh so flavorful.

If you are not planning to serve right away, make the dressing on the side. This will allow you to adjust the taste if needed.

What you will need:

• Soy sauce: this serves as the base of the dressing.
• Rice vinegar: This vinegar is milder than other vinegar. You can substitute with apple cider vinegar.
• Sesame oil: Provides an amazing toasted aroma.
• Sugar: Provides sweetness to balance out the saltiness in the soy sauce.
• Toasted sesame seeds: Provides a nutty flavor, as well as aroma.

Storage

Keep the extra in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the cucumber releases more moisture and the sauce will get diluted over time.

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