Need some cucumber inspiration? Try Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) that’s light, healthy, and incredibly refreshing! This sweet and sour cucumber salad with wakame seaweed makes a versatile side dish to serve with any Japanese meal.
When cucumbers are at their peak in gardens and markets, we often find a few lingering around at the kitchen counter. If you are in need of some cucumber inspiration today, I hope you try this refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad called Sunomono (酢の物). This is one of the most popular appetizers at the dinner table in Japan, and it’s simple and very easy to prepare in a short time.
Table of Contents
What is Sunomono?
Sunomono (酢の物) refers to vinegar-based dishes, and they are commonly served as a side dish to the main meal. These light refreshing vinegar salads are a great start to any meal as the sourness from the vinegar helps whet your appetite.
”Su (酢)” means vinegar in Japanese, and when we mention “sunomono,” it typically refers to Japanese cucumber salad. During the heat of summer and our bodies naturally gravitate towards ‘cooling’ food, this cucumber salad makes a wonderful seasonal side dish, especially for grilled fish or meat.
It is tangy, crunchy, and so easy to whip up. Plus, its health benefits are good enough reasons to enjoy on a weekly basis.
How to Make Japanese Cucumber Salad
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Japanese or Persian cucumbers
- Dried wakame seaweed
- Toasted white sesame seeds
- Dressing: rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and salt
Substitutions
- Japanese cucumbers can be substituted with Persian cucumbers. Both of them don’t contain big seeds like American cucumbers. If you can’t find Japanese or Persian cucumbers, you can use an English cucumber, but scoop out the seeds with a spoon because seeds contain moisture that will dilute the dressing.
- You can skip dried wakame seaweed if you’re not a fan. You can read its health benefit in case you’re interested. Could’t find wakame seaweed? Try thinly sliced onion, radish, or carrots for a layer of texture and for additional nutrients.
The Cooking Steps
- Rehydrate dried wakame seaweed in water for 5 minutes.
- Cut the cucumbers into thin slices. Sprinkle the salt and distribute it evenly. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers.
- Make the dressing. Heat the dressing ingredients in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
- Combine the well-drained seaweed and cucumber, sesame seeds, and dressing, and mix them all together. Serve and enjoy!
3 Cooking Tips
- Choose Japanese or Persian cucumbers. Avoid American cucumbers that contain big seeds and more moisture. Their skin is also waxy and thick, which is not ideal for this salad.
- Generously salt the cucumbers. The salt helps draw out the moisture from the cucumbers so it does not dilute the salad dressing after mixing. This ensures a great crunch for the salad.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and cucumbers. If you don’t, the dressing will be diluted and the salad will have a bland taste.
Non-Vegetarian Variations
The recipe below shows the basic method of making sunomono. You can easily change things up and make variations of the salad by adding the following:
- Crab meat – I am unfortunately allergic to crab, so I used imitation crab meat in this recipe. I have a variation of the recipe here.
- Boiled octopus – I buy boiled octopus from a Japanese grocery store. It’s sold in the sashimi section and the package usually says “octopus sashimi.” You just need to cut it into very thin slices. I have a variation of the recipe here.
- Shirasu (boiled baby anchovies) – Baby anchovies are commonly used in Japan, and they are rich in calcium. If you live by the ocean and have access to anchovies, you should give this a try!
- Ground sesame seeds to the dressing – I have a variation here that I used spiralized cucumbers.
Enjoy the perfect balance of sweet and sour in this delicious cucumber salad!
What to Serve with Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Main: Miso Cod, Baked Chicken Katsu, Simmered Beef and Tofu, Teriyaki Salmon.
- Sides: Spinach Ohitashi, Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce, Pickled Tomato,
- Rice: Japanese Mushroom Rice, Japanese Corn Rice, Takikomi Hijiki Gohan.
- Soup: Kabocha Miso Soup, Tonjiru (Pork and Vegetable Miso Soup), Cold Miso Soup.
If you want to check out other Japanese side dish recipes, read 15 Easy Japanese Side Dish Recipes.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)
Video
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ tsp soy sauce (use GF soy sauce for gluten-free)
For the Sunomono
- 2 Japanese cucumbers (or 3 Persian cucumbers; 11 oz, 300 g)
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed (3 g; 20–30 g after rehydration)
- ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
For the Variations (Optional)
- 4 pieces real or imitation crabmeat (skip for vegan/vegetarian)
- 2 oz octopus sashimi (boiled octopus) (skip for vegan/vegetarian)
- 2 Tbsp shirasu (boiled salted baby anchovies) (skip for vegan/vegetarian)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Dressing
- In a saucepan, combine 4 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 2 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and ½ tsp soy sauce.
- Heat over medium heat and whisk it well together. When the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool. Tip: If you decrease the sugar amount (which I don't recommend), you may find that the vinegar tastes too strong. If it's still too strong for you after adding the cucumbers, you can dilute it with a very small amount of Dashi (Japanese soup stock), Vegan Dashi, or water.
To Make the Sunomono
- Soak 1 Tbsp dried wakame seaweed in water and let it rehydrate for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the skin of 2 Japanese cucumbers, leaving some skin on to create stripes. Then, slice them thinly into rounds.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the slices and gently massage it in. Set aside for 5 minutes. The salt helps draw out the moisture from the cucumbers (so it does not dilute the salad dressing after mixing).
- Squeeze out the liquid from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and add it to a medium bowl.
- Squeeze out the liquid from the cucumbers. and add them to the bowl. with the dressing and toss it all together.
- Add ½ Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds and pour the dressing.
- Combine everything together and serve in individual bowls or a large serving bowl.
Variations
- Crab meat: Cut 4 pieces real or imitation crabmeat into thirds. Add to the cucumber and wakame seaweed mixture in Step 7. Boiled octopus: Slice 2 oz octopus sashimi (boiled octopus) thinly. Add to the cucumber and wakame seaweed mixture in Step 7. Boiled salted baby anchovies: Add 2 Tbsp shirasu (boiled salted baby anchovies) to the cucumber and wakame seaweed mixture in Step 7.
To Store
- Keep in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days (2 days for the seafood variations and 3 days for the classic version). However, the cucumber may release more moisture and the sauce may get diluted, so enjoy it soon!
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on February 23, 2012. It was republished with a new video and images and more helpful information on September 22, 2023.
[…] during its peak summer season. The Japanese consume them raw in salads, side dishes such as sunomono salad, sushi rolls, or as a garnish for rice bowls and hiyashi chuka. It’s also pickled as […]
Hi Namiko! I’d like to use about 1tsp of sesame oil at sunomono. Adds lots of flavour!
Hi André Akio! Awesome! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience!
thumbs up!
Hi Camille! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the Sunomono!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.😊
I used less than half the amount of sauce and slightly less sugar and they turned out great! I love all of JOC’s recipes.
Hi Christie! Thank you very much for trying JOC’s recipes and sharing your experience with us.
Happy Cooking!
A warm weather must-have! I love your variations. Mine is un-Japanesey, but I use the mandoline to slice fresh jalapeño pepper, then mix it into the cucumber. The slight peppery heat tastes great with the sweet and sour dressing.
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you very much for your kind feedback and for sharing your variations!
It sounds yummy!🤩
Delicious! I used home grown Japanese cucumbers. This is the second time I’ve made this.
Hi Leonard, Wow!🤩Home-grown cucumbers! It must be tasty!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
I found this recipe way too sweet, sorry.
Hi Joe, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your feedback!
We hope you can adjust the sugar amount for your liking and enjoy the Sunomono.🙂
Love this recipe! Any issues with just rehydrating the wakame with the mixed seasoning to eliminate a step?
Hi Kody,
If you do, The color of the wakame will change and will take more longer to rehydrate.
If you want to rehydrate faster, you may use warm water. It will take only 2~3 minutes to rehydrate.
We hope this helps!
I typed this question as I was doing it, thinking I was being smart but you’re absolutely correct. It was taking forever to rehydrate with the salty vinegar solution. SCIENCE!
Hi Kody! Yes! The science behind the cooking! It’s fun!😁
How can saltiness be reduced after dish is made? I may have not measured correctly.
Hi Mitzi,
We recommend adding more sliced cucumbers or wakame and mix it well.
I hope this is helpful.🙂
I used this to make a salad with under ripe watermelon. It tastes like cucumber with just a hint of watermelon flavour and I didn’t want to waste a whole melon that I grew. It came out wonderful and I think this is what I’ll do from now on if my melon doesn’t ripen.
Hi Sebastian!
Wow! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us! That sounds yummy! My mom in Japan uses watermelon skin (white part) to make salad or pickles as well! Yes! we don’t want to waste any food!
Can I use nori if I don’t have wakame? Thanks.
Hi Heidi! Unfortunately, can’t substitute it. Nori when wet becomes soft and disintegrate, so the whole dish may become black… each type of seaweeds is quite different (even though English is just “seaweed”). Just like you can’t use wakame to make sushi roll. Texture and taste are completely different. 🙂
Tried this recipe and I’m so addicted to it! Thank you. I’ve been reading a lot of manga that is related to Japanese cooking hope you can recreate them just like what you did with “midnight diner”.
These are the mangas which I have been enjoying:
1. Tonari wa nani o kuu hito (there’s a sequel too)
2. Misoshiru ni kanpai
Hi Delie! Thanks so much for trying this recipe. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. I don’t read the manga anymore so I am not familiar with these two. I’ll look into it. 🙂
Your recipes are excellent although I have not tried making them. I am in the process of gathering the ingredients then I will venture on making one recipe at a time. Do you have recipe for seaweed salad?
Thank you for your wonderful, healthy and step-by-step guide, very helpful for someone who is new to Japanese culinary. What a treat.
Hi Peia! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy cooking Japanese food at home! Regarding the “Seaweed Salad” that I think you’re probably referring to, I have a post/recipe on the seaweed salad (in Japan).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/seaweed-salad-recipe/
Thank you for the great recipe! I made some substitutions based on what I had on hand, and wrote about my experience on my own blog (and linked to yours, of course). I’ve made a few of your other recipes and have really enjoyed them 🙂
Hi Denise! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and sharing the link! It looks delicious! I’m glad you liked this recipe (and other ones too) and thank you for taking the time to write a comment!! xo
Love the sauce/seasoning. I see why you squeeze out the liquid. It not only costs but absorbs into the cucumber and wakame. 🥰 It brings out the flavor of the sauce and the food. Thanks!
Hi Laili! Thank you for trying this recipe. Glad to hear you liked it. 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback. xo