I’m sharing my Japanese Cucumber Salad featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, classic Japanese sauces, and one unexpected ingredient that makes the dish stand out.
I never thought a handful of thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers could feel so alive on the tongue. This Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe is the kind of side that makes you stop and take notes, simple but oddly addictive.
I love the snap of the cukes and the little nutty finish from toasted sesame seeds, they seem to make a meal sing. Call it Sunomono Salad or a quick picnic pick me up, either way it’s one of those dishes that keeps showing up on my plate when I want something bright, light, and just a bit surprising.
Ingredients
- Japanese cucumbers: Crunchy, low calorie, good fiber and water, adds refreshing mild sweetness and crunch.
- Rice vinegar: Bright, tangy, almost no calories, gives clean sourness and sharp acidity to balance.
- Granulated sugar: Simple carbs, adds sweet counterpoint, use sparingly or it’ll overpower delicate flavors.
- Wakame seaweed: Rehydrated wakame gives iodine, minerals and umami, a chewy ocean like bite.
- Toasted sesame seeds: Nutty oil and small crunch, adds healthy fats, tiny protein and sesame aroma.
- Soy sauce (shoyu): Salty, full of umami, brings savory depth and sodium so taste carefully.
- Scallion: Fresh green onion adds crunch, mild sharpness, vitamin K and onion aroma.
- Fresh ginger: Gives spicy warmth, a little heat and aromatic lift to the salad.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 japanese cucumbers (about 10–12 oz / 300–350 g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (shoyu)
- 1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
- 2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 1 small scallion (green onion)
- fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
How to Make this
1. Wash the cucumbers, trim the ends and slice them very thin with a sharp knife or mandoline so they are almost paper thin.
2. Put the slices in a bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt over them, toss, and let them sit 10 minutes to draw out the water—this keeps the salad crisp.
3. While they sweat, rehydrate the wakame: soak 2 tablespoons dried wakame in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes until puffed, then drain and squeeze out excess water, chop if the pieces are big.
4. Make the dressing in a small bowl: whisk 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional) and 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional) until the sugar dissolves.
5. Rinse the salted cucumber briefly under cold water to remove extra salt, then pat dry and gently squeeze the slices in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture; dont mash them.
6. Combine the cucumbers and wakame in a mixing bowl, pour the dressing over, toss gently to coat, taste and adjust sugar or vinegar if it needs more balance.
7. Toast 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they smell nutty and turn light golden, watch them closely so they dont burn. Thinly slice 1 small scallion and add both sesame seeds and scallion to the salad, toss once more.
8. Chill the salad at least 10 minutes before serving so flavors meld. Serve cold as a refreshing side. It keeps well in the fridge for a day but the cucumbers will get softer if you make it too far ahead.
Equipment Needed
1. Sharp chef knife or mandoline, for paper thin cucumber slices
2. Cutting board
3. Large mixing bowl and a small bowl (dressing)
4. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon
5. Colander or fine mesh sieve, to drain wakame and rinse cucumbers
6. Clean kitchen towel or paper towels, to squeeze cucumbers (dont mash them)
7. Small whisk or fork, to mix the dressing
8. Dry skillet, for toasting sesame seeds
9. Spoon or salad tongs, to toss and serve
FAQ
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Japanese cucumbers: English or Persian cucumbers, same crisp bite and thin skin. If you only have regular slicing cucumbers peel them and scoop out the seeds before slicing thinly.
- Rice vinegar: white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work fine, use the same amount and add a little sugar if it tastes too sharp.
- Soy sauce: tamari is a direct 1 to 1 swap (gluten free), or use coconut aminos for a soy free option, but coconut aminos are sweeter so add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Dried wakame: swap with soaked arame or finely shredded nori, or omit the seaweed and add extra toasted sesame seeds plus a little extra vinegar for brightness.
Pro Tips
– Chill the cucumbers in the fridge for 15 minutes before slicing, it firms them up and makes paper thin slices easier, and whatever you do use the mandoline guard or a cut-resistant glove cause yeah they bite if youre careless.
– After rinsing the salted cukes, plunge them into an ice bath for a minute to make them snap back extra crisp, then really pat them dry in a towel dont just blot or the dressing will get watery.
– Rehydrate wakame in warm water for 2 to 3 minutes if you want it to puff fast, squeeze out the liquid well and chop; you can save a tablespoon of the soaking water for the dressing if you like extra umami but strain it first so theres no grit.
– If the sugar wont dissolve, dissolve it first in a teaspoon of warm water or warm the rice vinegar a bit, then whisk into the rest, and go light on sesame oil because a little goes a long way.
– If you need to make it ahead, store dressing separate from the cucumbers and wakame, toast the sesame seeds right before serving or keep them in an airtight jar so they stay crunchy.
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) Recipe
I’m sharing my Japanese Cucumber Salad featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, classic Japanese sauces, and one unexpected ingredient that makes the dish stand out.
4
servings
51
kcal
Equipment: 1. Sharp chef knife or mandoline, for paper thin cucumber slices
2. Cutting board
3. Large mixing bowl and a small bowl (dressing)
4. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon
5. Colander or fine mesh sieve, to drain wakame and rinse cucumbers
6. Clean kitchen towel or paper towels, to squeeze cucumbers (dont mash them)
7. Small whisk or fork, to mix the dressing
8. Dry skillet, for toasting sesame seeds
9. Spoon or salad tongs, to toss and serve
Ingredients
2 japanese cucumbers (about 10–12 oz / 300–350 g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce (shoyu)
1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
2 tablespoons dried wakame seaweed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
1 small scallion (green onion)
fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Directions
- Wash the cucumbers, trim the ends and slice them very thin with a sharp knife or mandoline so they are almost paper thin.
- Put the slices in a bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt over them, toss, and let them sit 10 minutes to draw out the water—this keeps the salad crisp.
- While they sweat, rehydrate the wakame: soak 2 tablespoons dried wakame in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes until puffed, then drain and squeeze out excess water, chop if the pieces are big.
- Make the dressing in a small bowl: whisk 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional) and 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional) until the sugar dissolves.
- Rinse the salted cucumber briefly under cold water to remove extra salt, then pat dry and gently squeeze the slices in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture; dont mash them.
- Combine the cucumbers and wakame in a mixing bowl, pour the dressing over, toss gently to coat, taste and adjust sugar or vinegar if it needs more balance.
- Toast 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they smell nutty and turn light golden, watch them closely so they dont burn. Thinly slice 1 small scallion and add both sesame seeds and scallion to the salad, toss once more.
- Chill the salad at least 10 minutes before serving so flavors meld. Serve cold as a refreshing side. It keeps well in the fridge for a day but the cucumbers will get softer if you make it too far ahead.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 109g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 51kcal
- Fat: 1.7g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.67g
- Monounsaturated: 0.64g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 488mg
- Potassium: 154mg
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Sugar: 7.1g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Vitamin A: 37IU
- Vitamin C: 3.2mg
- Calcium: 37mg
- Iron: 0.6mg
