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Want some cucumber inspiration? Attempt Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) that’s gentle, wholesome, and extremely refreshing! This candy and bitter cucumber salad with wakame seaweed makes a flexible aspect dish to serve with any Japanese meal.
When cucumbers are at their peak in gardens and markets, we frequently discover a couple of lingering round on the kitchen counter. If you’re in want of some cucumber inspiration at the moment, I hope you do this refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad known as Sunomono (酢の物). This is among the hottest appetizers on the dinner desk in Japan, and it’s easy and really straightforward to arrange in a short while.
What’s Sunomono?
Sunomono (酢の物) refers to vinegar-based dishes, and they’re generally served as a aspect dish to the primary meal. These gentle refreshing vinegar salads are an awesome begin to any meal because the sourness from the vinegar helps whet your urge for food.
”Su (酢)” means vinegar in Japanese, and after we point out “sunomono,” it usually refers to Japanese cucumber salad. In the course of the warmth of summer time and our our bodies naturally gravitate in direction of ‘cooling’ meals, this cucumber salad makes a beautiful seasonal aspect dish, particularly for grilled fish or meat.
It’s tangy, crunchy, and really easy to whip up. Plus, its well being advantages are adequate causes to take pleasure in on a weekly foundation.
Tips on how to Make Japanese Cucumber Salad
The Elements You’ll Want
- Japanese or Persian cucumbers
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Toasted white sesame seeds
- Dressing: rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and salt
Substitutions
- Japanese cucumbers may be substituted with Persian cucumbers. Each of them don’t comprise huge seeds like American cucumbers. If you happen to can’t discover Japanese or Persian cucumbers, you should utilize an English cucumber, however scoop out the seeds with a spoon as a result of seeds comprise moisture that can dilute the dressing.
- You possibly can skip dried wakame seaweed should you’re not a fan. You possibly can learn its well being profit in case you’re . May’t discover wakame seaweed? Attempt thinly sliced onion, radish, or carrots for a layer of texture and for added vitamins.
The Cooking Steps
- Rehydrate dried wakame seaweed in water for five minutes.
- Lower the cucumbers into skinny slices. Sprinkle the salt and distribute it evenly. Put aside for five minutes.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers.
- Make the dressing. Warmth the dressing substances in a saucepan till the sugar is dissolved.
- Mix the well-drained seaweed and cucumber, sesame seeds, and dressing, and blend all of them collectively. Serve and luxuriate in!
3 Cooking Suggestions
- Select Japanese or Persian cucumbers. Keep away from American cucumbers that comprise huge seeds and extra moisture. Their pores and skin can also be waxy and thick, which isn’t splendid 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 after mixing. This ensures an awesome crunch for the salad.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers. If you happen to don’t, the dressing will likely be diluted and the salad may have a bland style.
Non-Vegetarian Variations
The recipe beneath exhibits the fundamental technique of constructing sunomono. You possibly can simply change issues up and make variations of the salad by including the next:
- Crab meat – I’m sadly allergic to crab, so I used imitation crab meat on this recipe. I’ve a variation of the recipe right here.
- Boiled octopus – I purchase boiled octopus from a Japanese grocery retailer. It’s bought within the sashimi part and the bundle often says “octopus sashimi.” You simply want to chop it into very skinny slices. I’ve a variation of the recipe right here.
- Shirasu (boiled child anchovies) – Child anchovies are generally utilized in Japan, and they’re wealthy in calcium. If you happen to reside by the ocean and have entry to anchovies, you need to give this a attempt!
- Floor sesame seeds to the dressing – I’ve a variation right here that I used spiralized cucumbers.
Benefit from the excellent stability of candy and bitter on this scrumptious cucumber salad!
What to Serve with Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Principal: Miso Cod, Baked Hen Katsu, Simmered Beef and Tofu, Teriyaki Salmon.
- Sides: Spinach Ohitashi, Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce, Pickled Tomato,
- Rice: Japanese Mushroom Rice, Japanese Corn Rice, Takikomi Hijiki Gohan.
- Soup: Kabocha Miso Soup, Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup), Chilly Miso Soup.
If you wish to try different Japanese aspect dish recipes, learn 15 Simple Japanese Aspect Dish Recipes.
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Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)
Want some cucumber inspiration? Attempt Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) 4 alternative ways! This candy and bitter cucumber salad with wakame seaweed makes a flexible aspect dish to serve with any Japanese meal. It‘s gentle, wholesome, and extremely refreshing.
Elements
For the Variations (Elective)
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
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.
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Warmth over medium warmth and whisk it effectively collectively. When the sugar is dissolved utterly, take away the saucepan from the warmth and let it cool. Tip: If you happen to lower the sugar quantity (which I do not advocate), chances are you’ll discover that the vinegar tastes too robust. If it is nonetheless too robust for you after including the cucumbers, you possibly can dilute it 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 water and let it rehydrate for five minutes.
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In the meantime, peel the pores and skin of 2 Japanese cucumbers, leaving some pores and skin on to create stripes. Then, slice them thinly into rounds.
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Sprinkle 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the slices and gently therapeutic massage it in. Put aside for five minutes. The salt helps draw out the moisture from the cucumbers (so it doesn’t dilute the salad dressing after mixing).
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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 cucumbers. and add them to the bowl. with the dressing and toss all of it collectively.
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Add ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and pour the dressing.
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Mix every part collectively and serve in particular person bowls or a big serving bowl.
Variations
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Crab meat: Lower 4 items actual or imitation crabmeat into thirds. Add to the cucumber and wakame seaweed combination in Step 7. Boiled octopus: Slice 2 oz octopus sashimi (boiled octopus) thinly. Add to the cucumber and wakame seaweed combination in Step 7. Boiled salted child anchovies: Add 2 Tbsp shirasu (boiled salted child anchovies) to the cucumber and wakame seaweed combination in Step 7.
To Retailer
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Maintain 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). Nonetheless, the cucumber might launch extra moisture and the sauce might get diluted, so take pleasure in it quickly!
Vitamin
Vitamin Info
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)
Quantity per Serving
% Each day Worth*
* P.c Each day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
Editor’s Observe: This submit was initially revealed on February 23, 2012. It was republished with a brand new video and pictures and extra useful data on September 22, 2023.
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