These quick Japanese Soy Sauce Pickles (Shoyuzuke) are super easy to make at home and ready in just 3 hours. Crunchy and refreshing, they‘re 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
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!
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4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles
Ingredients
For the Soy Sauce Pickling Solution (per batch)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Kikkoman® Gluten-Free Soy Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
For the Daikon Soy Sauce Pickles
- 1 lb daikon radish (⅓ daikon)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 dried red chili pepper
For the Cucumber Soy Sauce Pickles
- 1 lb Japanese or Persian cucumbers (3 pieces)
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- 1 knob ginger
For the Celery Soy Sauce Pickles
- 6 oz celery (5 stalks)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil (I used Kikkoman® Sesame Oil)
For the 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
- This soy sauce pickling solution recipe is for one batch of pickles. If you are going to make all 4 kinds, you have to make 4 times this recipe. If you are making just 2 kinds, make double. In a small saucepan, combine 4 Tbsp soy sauce and 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned).
- Add 2 Tbsp 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 1 lb daikon radish 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 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the daikon and spread it evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the liquid from the daikon.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard the seeds from 1 dried red chili pepper and cut it into thin slices.
- Once the moisture is removed 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 a 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 1 lb Japanese or Persian cucumbers into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices and sprinkle with 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard the seeds from 1 dried red chili pepper and cut it into thin slices.
- Peel 1 knob ginger, slice it into thin slabs, and then cut into julienned pieces.
- After 15 minutes, quickly rinse the cucumber slices under water to remove the salt. Transfer to a clean towel.
- Dry the cucumber with the towel and remove the moisture.
- Transfer the cucumber slices to a mason jar and add the cooled soy sauce mixture.
- Add the chopped chili pepper and julienned ginger.
- Put 2 glass weights on top and close the lid. Mix the cucumber and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Make Celery Soy Sauce Pickles
- Cut 6 oz celery into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces and transfer them to a mason jar.
- Peel 2 cloves garlic. Add the soy sauce mixture to the mason jar.
- Add ½ tsp toasted sesame oil and the garlic cloves.
- Put one glass weight on top and close the lid. Mix the celery and soy sauce mixture by swirling the jar.
To Make Komatsuna Soy Sauce Pickles
- Cut 6 oz komatsuna into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces and transfer to a mason jar.
- Add the cooled soy sauce mixture and 1 Tbsp katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
- Mix the katsuobushi and komatsuna together with chopsticks. Put one glass weight on top 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). 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). For the daikon pickles, store them in a jar or container with a tightly sealing lid to minimize the odor; I recommend consuming them sooner as the odor gets stronger over time.
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
Hi!! I have a question. I just want to make a single batch of the pickled radish, since I always have so much extra laying around. If I make just a single batch of the sauce, it’s seems like such a small amount and not enough to cover my ⅓ radish. Am I doing something wrong!!??!
Hi Kendra!
Unlike western pickles, we don’t soak the entire vegetables in a pickling agent. Like you see in this step by step pictures, Japanese pickling relies on pressing down, which releases more moisture coming out from the vegetables.
If you compare with step 7 picture of the daikon and the daikon’s final picture, you can see the liquid is more – that’s because of pressing. You can use a Ziploc bag if you don’t have a heavyweight that goes into the mason jar. It’s easier to put vegetable and pickling solution in the bag and put a weight on top.
Hope this helps!
Can we pickle any other vegetables this way? Like for example carrot or cabbage?
Hi Anna,
Yes, you can! Thank you so much for trying this recipe!
Thanks, Nami 🙂
I will try the carrot today then. I think ginger would be good to add, what do you think?
BTW, i made celery yesterday, and it was delicious 🙂
Hi Anna,
It’s our pleasure to assist you.
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the celery version! Ginger sounds very yummy too!😋
I was wondering if you could Can/Preserve sou sauce pickles? Does the soy sauce disrupt the PH level too much, or could we cdd citric acid to can it.
Hi Chole! These are quick pickles type and good for up to a week, then it gets salty. 🙂
Hi,Nami,what a perfect way to make delicious pickles,I was wondering can I re-use the sauce for the next time making pickles?
Hi Yumi! I wouldn’t use it because the pickling agent (liquid) has additional water that’s released from the vegetables. Which is why I use a minimal amount of pickling agent and press down. In a few hours or a day (depending on how dense your veggie is), the vegetable will release the moisture and it will be completely covered with the liquid. That means the liquid has been diluted already. 🙂
If you use seasoned rice vinegar do you leave out the sugar?
Hi Dale! Yes, you will need to adjust sugar and salt (soy sauce in this case). 🙂
Do you have a pickle recipe without shoyu?
Thanks Nami these look delicious
what is the brand name of your glass weights? and where did you get it? Thank you!
Hi Susan! I got mine on Amazon (https://amzn.to/2U5cfyf). 🙂
Hi,
Why not dry the daikon in salted water like you did when you made pickled daikon with shio koji ?
Thanks.
Hi Adrien! For making pickles, there are many different ways, including these pre-salting methods.
You can use either method. Shio Koji pickles take a longer time to finish, so it’s not a “quick pickling” recipe. We use more proper saltwater method.
My soy sauce pickles are meant for quick pickling, so we use the short-cut method of salting.
It’s up to you the method you use. 🙂
After having eaten the vegetables, do you do anything with the remaining pickling liquid ?
THANKS !!
Hi Adrien! Water is released from the vegetables so you can’t reuse it. 🙂 However, if you feel wasteful, you can use it to cook some dishes. 🙂
What kind of dishes do you make with it Nami? Maybe I missed it, but how long does this last in the fridge?
Hi Lisa! I usually share a meal recommendation at the end of the recipe card – right below the recipe box, as a suggestion. We eat pickles with every meal. 🙂
The storage info is in the recipe card: Store the pickles in the refrigerator. They are ready to consume after 3 hours (depending on the vegetable and thickness of the cut). 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).
Thank you!
Made the daikon and cucumber versions yesterday. It was great! I bought a Japanese pickling jar with a glass weight a few months back and I’ve been using it probably every other day. It’s been surprisingly easy to make ichiju sansai dishes since.
Hi Brent! Thank you for trying my recipe already and for your kind feedback! I agree, having extra dishes in the fridge is great for a meal with rice! We just need a small amount, but variations would make it more elaborate. 🙂
I know, from the experience of making these under your guidance, how delightful each variation! However — today reading this I remembered that I had a huge bunch of red radishes in the crisper and I thought hmmm could I make Daikon no Nimono 大根の煮物 from these? I did!!! The peppery flavour remained, although quite subtle. Thank you for your inspiration!
Hi GaijinCyn! Your experience in cooking in different countries really broaden your culinary skills! Thanks for sharing. I’m now curious! Thanks for your sweet words. Stay healthy and safe, Cyn! xoxo
I like the idea of glass weight. Where can I buy them. Never heard of it. Is this a Japanese household tool.
Hi Helen! I put the link in the post. 🙂 It’s not a Japanese tool, but it’s used commonly to make (western) pickles.
hmm… I haven’t got a glass weight. I do have an actual Japanese pickle press, with the spring loaded pressure plate and such. I’m assuming one of those would work?
Hi Robert! Yes! That’s perfect! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Does the dried chili for the daikon pickles make it spicy? If I don’t have dried chili, any suggestions on what other ingredients I can use for the add-on flavour?
Hi Jessica! Nope, if you remove the seeds. My kids can eat it and I barely taste it spicy. It’s a Japanese spicy level (which is nothing to those who eat spicy food). 🙂 It’s just the slight flavor. It’s a pretty common ingredient in this type of pickle. What else… I suggested a few in the recipe that’s pretty common in Japanese cooking. But you “can” be creative with other ingredients, I guess… 🙂
How necessary are the weights for this? I have everything to make some already besides that!
Hi Christina! Pickling requires the osmotic pressure of salt/soy sauce (although it may be vinegar and sugar) in close contact with the ingredients, causing moisture to come out of the ingredients and causing the salt to move into the ingredients. The weight has the role of promoting moisture to escape from the material and preventing moisture that has escaped from returning. Another method is to use a Ziplock bag and put a heavy object/plate on top of the bag. 🙂