Crunchy, refreshing, and flavorful, these Japanese soy sauce pickles (Shoyuzuke) are super easy to make at home and so delicious with steamed rice and miso soup. Let’s make 4 easy variations!
The Japanese pickles, or Tsukemono, are a staple in our daily meal. When you serve steamed rice and miso soup, you will always see a small plate of pickles accompanying them. Many families make their own pickles at home as it’s easy to make and a great way to enjoy more vegetables!
Today, I’ll show you 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles. That’s right, four kinds! I just couldn’t pick one, so you get to try them all.
Why You Should Make These Soy Sauce Pickles
- So ridiculously easy
- Only use pantry ingredients
- Fun to eat with plain steamed rice
- Always good to have a healthy add-on dish to bring more appetite and diversify the nutrients
- Versatile with ingredients and flavors
How to Make 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles
Crunchy, refreshing, and flavorful, these Japanese soy sauce pickles (Shoyuzuke) are super easy to make at home and so delicious with steamed rice and miso soup. Let’s make 4 easy variations!
What You Will Need to Make Soy Sauce Pickles
1. Four Main Ingredients for Pickling
- Soy sauce – I use Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce to make it gluten-free.
- Rice vinegar – It’s mild and works great for Japanese recipes. If you use other types, reduce the amount since they are more acidic.
- Sugar – I use organic cane sugar.
- Salt – It’s used to remove moisture from the vegetables.
2. Add-on Flavors
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Red chili peppers
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
3. Vegetables for Pickling
- Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) – It’s available in Japanese grocery stores, especially winter months.
- Celeries
- Daikon radish
- Japanese, Persian, or English cucumbers – They have small seeds. If you use other kinds of cucumbers, please remove the seeds before pickling them.
4. Mason Jars and Glass Weights
- Wide-mouth 32-oz Mason Jars – Mason jars keep homemade pickles well and it’s easy to store in the refrigerator.
- Plastic Storage Caps for Wide-mouth Mason Jars – This is not necessary but I think it’s convenient to have.
- Glass Weights – The glass weights fit perfectly to the Mason jars! Use 1-2 weights per jar.
How to Serve Soy Sauce Pickles
Typically, pickles are served in a bigger bowl or plate and shared communally at the center of the table. You can also serve each pickle on individual small plates. It’s all personal choice, depending on the dinner setting or how you’d like to present the meal.
The Japanese tableware includes Mamezara (豆皿), which is a tiny plate, about 3 inches in length. They come in various sizes, colors, and shapes, which work great for pickles.
Enjoy making your own Soy Sauce Pickles at home. Your steamed rice will never be boring if you keep these delicious pickles around!
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles
Ingredients
Soy Sauce Pickling Solution
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Soy Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Daikon Soy Sauce Pickles
- 1 lb daikon radish (⅓ daikon)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- 1 dried red chili pepper
Cucumber Soy Sauce Pickles
- 1 lb Japanese or Persian cucumbers (3 pieces)
- 2 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- 1 knob ginger
Celery Soy Sauce Pickles
- 6 oz celery (5 stalks)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp roasted sesame oil (I used Kikkoman® Sesame Oil)
Komatsuna Soy Sauce Pickles
- 6 oz komatsuna (1 bunch)
- 1 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (Skip for vegan/vegetarian)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Soy Sauce Mixture
- The recipe is for one batch of pickling. If you are going to make 4 kinds, you have to make 4 x. If you are making just 2 kinds, make double. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce and rice vinegar.
- Add sugar, and bring it to near boiling point over medium heat. Mix (or swirl) the sauce a few times to melt the sugar until dissolved. Set aside to let cool completely.
To Make Daikon Soy Sauce Pickles
- Peel and cut daikon into quarters lengthwise, and cut them into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices.
- Place the daikon slices in a sieve (I use a flat sieve). Sprinkle salt over the daikon and spread it evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes to withdraw water from the daikon.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard the seeds from the red chili pepper and cut it into thin slices.
- Once the moisture is taken out from the daikon, quickly rinse under water to get rid of the salt. Then transfer the daikon to a clean towel or paper towel.
- Dry the daikon with the towel and transfer it to the Mason jar.
- Add the chopped red chili pepper and cooled soy sauce mixture.
- Put two glass weights on top of the daikon and close the lid. Mix the daikon and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Make Cucumber Soy Sauce Pickles
- Slice the cucumber into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices and sprinkle salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard the seeds from the red chili pepper and cut it into thin slices.
- Peel the ginger, slice it into thin slabs, and then cut into julienned pieces.
- After 15 minutes, quickly rinse under water to remove salt and transfer to a clean towel.
- Dry the cucumber with the towel and remove the moisture.
- Transfer the cucumber slices to the Mason jar and add the cooled soy sauce mixture.
- Add the chopped chili pepper and julienned ginger.
- Put 2 glass weights and close the lid. Mix the cucumber and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Make Celery Soy Sauce Pickles
- Cut the celeries into ½ inch (1.3 cm) pieces and transfer them to the Mason jar.
- Peel 2 garlic cloves. Add the soy sauce mixture to the Mason jar.
- Add the sesame oil and the garlic cloves.
- Put one glass weight and close the lid. Mix the celeries and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Make Komatsuna Soy Sauce Pickles
- Cut the komatsuna into 2 inches (5 cm) pieces and transfer to the Mason jar.
- Add the cooled soy sauce mixture and the katsuobushi.
- Mix the katsuobushi with komatsuna with chopsticks. Put one glass weight and close the lid. Mix the komatsuna and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Store and Enjoy Soy Sauce Pickles
- Store the pickles in the refrigerator. They are ready to consume after 3 hours (depending on the vegetable and thickness of the cut). You can strain the liquid off when you feel the pickles are about to get salty, but it's all up to your preference. Consume within 3-7 days (Denser vegetables like daikon tend to keep longer without getting too salty while cucumbers or leafy veggies get saltier quickly).
Nutrition
Other Japanese Pickle Recipes
- Shiozuke (塩漬け) – with salt
- Amazuzuke (甘酢漬け) – with sugar and vinegar
- Misozuke (味噌漬け) – with miso
- Kasuzuke (粕漬け) – with sake kasu (lees)
- Shiokojizuke (塩麹漬け) – with rice koji/mold-cultured rice
