Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad (Sunomono)

This Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad is my take on Japanese Sunomono, or vinegar-based dishes, that I love to have as starters or side dishes in Japanese restaurants. I usually love to get a wakame (seaweed) sunomono or cucumber sunomono but for this version, I wanted to fuse the two together.

japanese sunomono cucumber and seaweed salad — This Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad or Sunomono is incredibly easy, light, refreshing, and healthy.

You get that crisp bite from the cucumber and added texture & smooth, chewy bite from the rehydrated wakame/seaweed. I use a mandolin sliced to get thin, even cuts of cucumber.

The dressing is made with a delicate balance of rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and some salt. I find that adding sesame oil adds that distinct sesame fragrance that I didn’t want to leave out.

This salad is incredibly easy, light, refreshing, and healthy at the same time.

WHAT IS SUNOMONO?

The term Sunomono refers to vinegar-based dishes and these are usually served in small plates as a side dish or started with a meal. These are very light and refreshing vinegar-based salads or small plates that are great accompaniment to hearty meals because the tanginess and crunch of the cucumber and other elements help cut through other food.

I personally love how sunomono are also great palate cleansers.

TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS JAPANESE CUCUMBER AND SEAWEED SALAD

Get good cucumbers
Rehydrate your wakame
Squeeze out as much water as you can
Prepare your dressing and feel free to adjust to your taste

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

Cucumber

3 small japanese cucumbers or other pickling cucumbers like persian (300g/10.5oz)
1/2 tsp salt

Wakame Seaweed

3 tbsp dried wakame seaweed , makes 100g/3.5 oz rehydrated (see notes)

Dressing

1/4 cup rice vinegar (I used unseasoned rice vinegar)
2 tbsp sugar or more
2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp salt adjust to taste
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Mizkan japanese rice vinegar — A bottle of Mizkan Japanese Rice Vinegar for the dressing.

HOW TO MAKE THIS JAPANESE CUCUMBER AND SEAWEED SALAD

SLICE THE CUCUMBERS

Chop the ends of the cucumbers. Using a mandolin slicer or manually with a knife, thinly slice the cucumbers.
Place the thinly sliced cucumber on a strainer with a catch basin underneath. Add 1/2 tsp salt and then mix well with the cucumbers. Gently massage the cucumbers. Leave to sit for 10-15 minutes for the water to draw out.

You can use a mandolin slicer for thin, even slices of cucumber.

thinly sliced japanese cucumber — You can use a mandolin slicer for thin, even slices of cucumber.

REHYDRATE THE WAKAME OR SEAWEED

Meanwhile, rehydrate the wakame seaweed in a bowl with water. Warm or even room temperature water is okay. Leave to sit for 8-10 minutes until completely rehydrated and very pliable. Drain from the water.

dried wakame seaweed — Dried wakame or seaweed blooms in water so a little goes a long way!

dried wakame seaweed soaked in water — Dried wakame or seaweed blooms in water so a little goes a long way!

PREPARE THE DRESSING

Prepare the dressing by mixing everything together in a bowl. Feel free to add more sugar for added sweetness, if desired. Set aside.

japanese cucumber salad dressing — You can adjust the salad dressing according to your preference.

DRAIN EXCESS WATER FROM THE CUCUMBER

Squeeze out as much water from the cucumbers as possible. I use my hands for these and hold the cucumber slices in a large ball and squeeze out as much liquid as I can. This is to make sure the cucumbers don’t release so much water when mixed with the dressing since this can dilute the dressing.

squeezing japanese thinly sliced cucumbers

removing water from thinly sliced japanese cucumbers

PREPARE THE SALAD

Mix the cucumber and wakame with the dressing. Portion into small plates when ready to enjoy and top with more sesame seeds, if desrired.
This is best enjoyed immediately or after refrigerating for a few hours.

thinly sliced japanese cucumbers and rehydrated wakame seaweed

STORAGE AND MAKE-AHEAD TIPS

If preparing ahead, store this in an air-tight container. Do note that the cucumbers can release more water and dilute the dressing. Enjoy this salad within 4-5 days.

SERVE AND ENJOY THIS CUCUMBER AND SEAWEED SALAD

You can enjoy this as a starter or as a side with your meal. It’s deliciously light and refreshing with that nice crunch and bite from the cucumber and that extra texture from the wakame. Enjoy!

MORE VEGAN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LOVE

Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad (Sunomono)

5 from 5 votes

This Japanese Cucumber and Seaweed Salad is incredibly easy, light, refreshing, and healthy at the same time. You get that crisp bite from the cucumber and added texture & smooth, chewy bite from the rehydrated wakame/seaweed. I use a mandolin sliced to get thin, even cuts of cucumber. The dressing is made with a delicate balance of rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and some salt. I find that adding sesame oil adds that distinct sesame fragrance that I didn’t want to leave out.

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Starters

Cuisine Asian, East Asian, Japanese

Servings small plates

Calories 83 kcal