Sunomono Salad Recipe

Rehydrate wakame

Place dried wakame in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak 5–10 minutes until expanded and tender. Drain in a fine sieve, squeeze gently to remove excess water, and roughly chop if the pieces are large.

Prepare shrimp & octopus

If shrimp are frozen, thaw under cold running water and pat dry. If using larger shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces. Slice cooked octopus thinly across the grain into 3–4 mm (1/8–1/4 in) slices. Pat both shrimp and octopus lightly with paper towel to remove surface moisture.

Place the prepared shrimp, octopus and rehydrated wakame together in a medium mixing bowl.

Slice and salt cucumbers

Thinly slice the cucumber (preferably on a mandoline) into 2–3 mm (1/16–1/8 in) rounds. Place slices in a bowl, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt, toss, and let sit 8–10 minutes to draw out water.

After resting, gently squeeze the cucumber slices with your hands or press between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Add the cucumbers to the bowl with the seafood and wakame.

In a small bowl or jar combine rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, grated ginger and a pinch of salt. Whisk or shake until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust: add a little more vinegar for tang, a dash more soy for saltiness, or a few drops of sesame oil for nuttiness.

Stir in the toasted sesame seeds to the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the bowl with shrimp, octopus, wakame and cucumbers. Gently toss with chopsticks or salad tongs until everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to overmix to preserve delicate textures.

Add the sliced green onions and toss once more to combine.

Transfer the sunomono to a serving dish or divide into 2 small bowls. Sprinkle additional toasted sesame seeds over the top and garnish with shiso leaf or nori and pickled ginger if using.

For best flavor let the salad rest chilled 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Serve cold as an appetizer or side dish.