Sunomono Recipe

Cucumber Salad

1. 1

   Prepare wakame

   Place dried wakame in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons cold water to rehydrate for 5–10 minutes until tender and expanded. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water. Chop into bite-sized pieces if large.

2. 2

   Slice cucumbers

   Thinly slice the cucumbers (ideally 1/8" / 3 mm) using a sharp knife or mandoline. Place slices in a bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt, toss, and let sit 10 minutes to draw out water.

3. 3

   Make dressing

   In a separate bowl, whisk together rice vinegar (4 tbs), sugar (1 tbs), mirin (1 tbs), soy sauce (1 tsp), sesame oil (1 tsp), and grated ginger (1 tsp) until sugar dissolves and dressing is smooth.

4. 4

   Rinse and drain cucumbers

   After 10 minutes, rinse the salted cucumber slices briefly under cold water to remove excess salt, then drain thoroughly. Press gently or pat dry with paper towels to remove remaining moisture.

5. 5

   Combine salad

   Toss the drained cucumbers with rehydrated wakame and the dressing until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning: add up to 1/2 tsp more sugar or 1/2 tsp more rice vinegar to balance sweet and sour if desired.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds (1 tbs) and optional sliced scallion (1 tbs) over the top. Chill for 10–15 minutes if time allows to let flavors meld. Serve cold as a small side (sunomono).