Sunomono salad or Japanese cucumber salad is a refreshing appetizer or side dish featuring crisp, thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers marinated in a sweet, tangy vinegar-based dressing.
Sunomono salad or Japanese cucumber salad is a refreshing appetizer or side dish featuring crisp, thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers marinated in a sweet, tangy vinegar-based dressing.
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Sunomono salad is a deliciously refreshing Japaneseside dish that instantly brightens up any meal. This healthy Japanese cucumber salad is a quick and easy recipe that can be thrown together in under 10 minutes!
Sunomono (酢の物) is a traditional Japaneseside dish or appetizer made with Japanese cucumbers tossed in a sweet and tangy rice vinegar-based dressing. The name “sunomono” translates to vinegared things” in Japanese. A traditional sunomono salad is made with Japanese cucumbers that have a mild, bright, and semi-sweet flavor.
The cucumbers are thinly sliced, drained, and tossed in rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame seed dressing. This Japanese salad has a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, complemented by a crisp, refreshing bite. You can serve this cucumber salad as an appetizer, a snack, or a side dish.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this sunomono recipe at your local Asian or Japanese grocery market. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Japanese cucumbers: are ideal because they are seedless and hold less water than traditional American cucumbers.
Salt extracts the water from the cucumbers, making the Japanese cucumbers crunchier.
Rice vinegar: adds a mild, sweet flavor with a touch of acidity.
Sugar: sweetens the sunomono salad.
Soy sauce: adds a hint of salty umami flavor that balances out the acidity in the rice vinegar.
Sesame seeds: add another layer of crunchy and soft nutty flavor.
Vinegar: apple cider, white wine, champagne, or mirin.
Sweetener: honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar.
Additions
Dried wakame seaweed: add rehydrated dried seaweed pieces for more texture and umami flavor.
Seafood: add boiled octopus, real or imitation crab meat, or shirasu (baby anchovies).
How to Make Sunomono Salad
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make this quick and easy sunomono salad recipe.
Thinly slice the cucumber and sprinkle salt over it. Let the cucumbers sit for 5 minutes. Then rinse the cucumbers, squeeze out any excess moisture, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.
Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Use fresh cucumbers. Choose between Japanese cucumbers or Persian cucumbers for the freshest and crispiest flavor. Avoid American cucumbers that are thick, have a waxy bitter skin, and are more moist.
Use a mandolin or food processor to quickly slice the cucumbers. This will allow even slices and quicker prep time.
Squeeze out as much water from the cucumbers as you can. This will allow the cucumbers to absorb the dressing.
Adjust to taste. When you mix your dressing, taste and adjust based on your preferences! If you’d like it sweeter add more sugar. For saltier, add more soy sauce or salt.
Storage Instructions
You can store this sunomono in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the longer the cucumbers sit in the dressing, the softer they may become over time.
Pairing Suggestions
You can serve this sunomono salad on its own as a snack or as a side dish paired with the following pairing suggestions.
Sunomono salad is typically served cold as a refreshing appetizer or a side dish to a warm savory meal. The acidity from the rice vinegar, paired with the fresh, crisp cucumbers, will easily brighten up any heavier dish.
What is a Japanese cucumber?
Japanese cucumbers are smaller and slenderer than regular cucumbers. Its skin is tender and smooth and does not need to be peeled before eating. Japanese cucumbers also have very minimal to no seeds creating a crunchy texture. They have a mild, slightly sweet, bright flavor and are less watery than other cucumbers which make them ideal for a salad.
Do Japanese cucumbers need to be peeled?
No, Japanese cucumbers do not need to be peeled because they have thin skins with a mild sweet flavor. This makes them ideal for a cucumber salad because of the easy prep time.
Sunomono salad or Japanese cucumber salad is a refreshing appetizer or side dish made with crisp, thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers marinated in a sweet, tangy vinegar based dressing.
Prepare the cucumbers. Thinly slice the cucumbers and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle the salt over them and toss to combine. Let the cucumbers sit for at least 5 minutes. Then rinse the cucumbers, squeeze out any excess moisture, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix the dressing. In a small bowl, add the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Mix until the sugar dissolves.
Combine. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing and enjoy.
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