My obsession to recreate the perfect Japanese cucumber salad started with our latest curry take out dinner. Along with my miso glazed salmon they sent along a crisp cucumber side salad. It looked so beautifully fresh and clean I downed the whole thing before we even unpacked our dinner (my husband hates when I do that.)
But here’s the thing: this salad is a masterful combination of refreshing cukes plus that zingy Asian combo of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame and chile that’s too good to ignore. Oh, and the crushed peanuts ~ gah!
Sunomono (soon-oh-MONO)
It refers to a style of raw vinegar marinated dishes in Japanese cuisine that are served as sides or appetizers. They can range from veggies to seafood. The sweet ~ sour ~ crunchy effect is super refreshing and enhances the appetite. Try it with your next sandwich or burger, you’ll fall in love like I did.
shopping list for Japanese cucumber salad
Slender thin skinned cucumbers
Use thin-skinned cucumbers for this salad ~ Japanese (kyuri) if you can find them, but Persian or English cucumbers work perfectly too. They’re crisp and mild with tender skins, so you won’t get the bitterness or watery texture of standard slicing cucumbers.
roasted peanuts
you can also use toasted sesame seeds.
soy sauce
I love tamari style soy sauce which is a little richer, with a less sharp and salty bite to it. It’s also gluten free.
rice wine vinegar
rice vinegar is milder than other vinegars, and I recommend it for Japanese cucumber salad. You can also use cider vinegar.
fresh garlic
chili oil
sesame oil
this is one of my favorite oils, the flavor is insane!
sugar
a tiny bit of sugar brings all the flavors together.
red pepper flakes
cilantro
cilantro haters leave it out.
prepping cucumbers is easy and fun
You can use a mandoline for very thin even slices, but i find that can make the salad go limp very quickly. I use a sharp knife.
Don’t peel them! The skin is thin and delicious, and gives the cucumbers structure. If you like you can partially peel them by running a zesting tool down the sides. My mom used to scrape the sides with the tines of a fork. It makes a decorative edging.
Slice them on a diagonal, which is not only pretty, but exposes more flesh to the dressing.
Slice them up to an hour before serving. I don’t advise doing this very far in advance because cukes release water and become less crisp after being cut.
do you drain the cucumbers for cucumber salad?
I don’t, but you can if you like. Draining can help remove some of the excess moisture, resulting in a crispier texture in the final salad.
The simplest way to do this is to arrange the sliced cucumbers on a thick layer of paper towels and allow some of the excess moisture to drain before adding to your salad.
Dining and Cooking