Description
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) is a light and refreshing dish made with thinly sliced cucumbers, wakame seaweed, and vermicelli noodles, all tossed in a tangy-sweet rice vinegar dressing. This quick, easy, and healthy no-cook recipe pairs perfectly with any meal and is ready in minutes, making it a simple yet flavorful Japanese classic.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp (3 g) dried wakame
- 1/4 of a bundle (6 g) of mung bean noodles
- 2 Persian cucumbers or 1 Japanese cucumber (130-140 g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (5g)
Dressing
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (12 g) cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
Optional Add-ins
- 2 pieces imitation crab meat
- 1 pack (5 g) katsuobushi
- 1 pack (15 g) shirasu (baby sardines)
- 3-4 pieces (40 g) octopus or squid sashimi
- 4-5 shiso leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 Japanse ginger, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the Wakame & Noodles: Pour hot water over the dried wakame and mung bean noodles, making sure they are fully submerged. Let them sit for 5-8 minutes until the wakame expands and the noodles soften. Drain and pat them dry. Cut the noodles into shorter lengths by snipping them with kitchen scissors.
- Prepare the Cucumbers: Slice the tips off the cucumbers, then thinly slice them into rounds using a mandolin (for consistency and speed). Sprinkle the cucumbers with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar, and massage the mixture into the cucumbers. Let them sit for 3-5 minutes to release excess moisture, then rinse, drain, and blot them with paper towels.
- Make the Dressing: In a bowl, combine the rice vinegar, cane sugar, and soy sauce. Microwave for 30 seconds until warm and then stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Alternatively, you can heat the sauce in a small sauce pan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Assemble the Salad: Add the cucumbers, wakame, and mung bean noodles to the dressing and toss everything together.
- Optional Add-ins: If desired, add in imitation crab, katsuobushi, shirasu, octopus or squid sashimi, katsuobushi, shiso or Japanese ginger for extra flavor and texture.
- Finish and Serve: Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy the refreshing, tangy sunomono!
Notes
- Helpful Equipment: thin mandolin slicer
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: salad, side dish
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 41
- Sugar: 3.1g
- Sodium: 247mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.8g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6.9g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 0