Quick and Easy Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

A quick and easy Japanese cucumber salad (sunomono) is a side dish served with any Japanese meal. It can also be eaten as a snack and appetizer. The combination of the dressing makes you eat more.

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I have a confession to make, I hoard a few packs of Japanese cucumber because I use it in making chickpea salad. Then I remember this cucumber salad we had a few months ago when we were still allowed to dine in.

I want something quick, light, and refreshing since I’m trying to avoid chips now I decided to recreate the recipe.

This is the perfect pair to my veggie sushi rolls which I will make again. I also tried the sauce with the vegetable spring rolls I bought and they are delicious. If you want to make your own vegetable spring rolls, click the recipe here:

• Veggie Sushi Rolls
• Vegetable Spring Rolls

WHICH CUCUMBER TO USE

Persian cucumbers and japanese cucumbers are common in our local grocery stores and wet market, so I can only recommend using these two. I prefer Japanese cucumber because it isn’t too watery for me and has little to no seeds.

HOW TO PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS

Depending on how many people will eat and enjoy this easy Japanese cucumber salad, one medium size can have 2-3 servings but I bet you can finish it in one sitting. Peel the cucumber, wash and cut thinly and set aside.

I like preparing the dressing in a small glass jar that I can keep in the fridge then I will just pour it on top of the cucumbers before indulging.

You want your cucumber to be still crispy so I don’t recommend combining them and then keeping them in the fridge.

The dressing can also be customized according to your preference: make it spicy by adding chili flakes, sweeter by adding more maple syrup or sugar. But I won’t recommend reducing the vinegar as this recipe is also called Sunomono.

WHAT IS SUNOMONO

A little Japanese trivia here, Sunomono where Su in Japanese means vinegar. Sunomono refers to vinegar-based japanese foods and usually, these are uncooked vegetables that are thinly sliced.

IS THE RECIPE GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGAN

I use gluten-free soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup with just a few additions of ground black pepper and salt for this Japanese cucumber salad.

Make sure your ingredients are labeled gluten-free to be safe and since we only have cucumbers as the star of this recipe it is therefore vegan.

Even if you are not vegan you can still enjoy this recipe, guilt-free, delicious and healthy snack.

BENEFITS OF CUCUMBER

1. High in water content which can keep you hydrated and cool.
2. It has antioxidants
3. Low calorie, rich in vitamins and minerals ( Vit K,C, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium)
4. Good for the heart and can help maintain a good weight
5. Good for the skin.

EASY JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium size japanese cucumber (or persian cucumber)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (sub: gluten-free soy sauce)
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional:toppings)
• ¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash cucumber and peel the skin. (peeling is optional)
2. Slice the cucumber thinly or use a mandoline slicer and set aside.
3. In a clean glass container or small bowl. Add the following ingredients. Rice vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, maple syrup and sesame oil. Mix.
4. Add chili flakes to make it spicy. Adjust taste according to your preference.
5. Add sesame seeds on top of cucumbers as toppings. Pour a few tablespoon of dressing in the salad.
6. Serve and enjoy.

RECIPE NOTES

• Peeling the cucumber is optional: eating it with the skin is also beneficial just make sure to wash it thoroughly.
• You can also use sugar instead of maple syrup.
• If you do not have rice vinegar, apple cider will do the trick.
• If you use persian cucumber make sure to squeeze any excess water.
• Keep in the fridge for about 20 minutes and serve cold.
• Store extra dressing and cucumbers in the fridge. The dressing can last for up to a week.
• To keep the cucumber fresh and crispy avoid mixing the dressing when keeping in the fridge. It is also best to consume right away after cutting.

NUTRITION

This Japanese cucumber salad has 80 calories each for two servings. Total Fat 2.4g | Saturated Fat 0.3g | Cholesterol 0mg | Sodium 678mg | Total Carbohydrate 8.8g | Dietary Fiber 0.5g | Total Sugars 6.9g | Protein 0.9g | Vitamin D 0mcg | Calcium 17 mg | Iron 0 mg | Potassium 114mg

Nutrition calculation is based on using an online calculator (verywellfit) and for reference use only. The dressing can yield up to 4 servings.

LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES

• VEGAN OKONOMIYAKI WITH SOURDOUGH
• GLUTEN-FREE JAPCHAE KOREAN NOODLES
• GARLIC EDAMAME – EASY SNACKS
• JAPANESE FRIED RICE

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