Crisp Japanese Cucumber and Wakame Salad (Sunomono)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A cool, glassy cucumber salad in a lightly sweet rice-vinegar dressing, the kind that arrives in a small chilled bowl at the start of a sushi meal. The trick is a 15-minute salt cure and a firm squeeze: pulling the water out of the cucumbers first means the dressing clings instead of pooling, so every slice stays snappy. Dried wakame plumps up in about five minutes and adds a soft, briny counterpoint to the crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb Japanese or Persian cucumbers (about 4 Persian or 2 Japanese)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp dried cut wakame seaweed

• 3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

• 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
• Thinly sliced scallion greens (optional)

Instructions

1. Trim the ends from the cucumbers. If using Japanese or Persian cucumbers, leave them unpeeled; if you only have a standard American slicer, peel it and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Slice crosswise as thinly as you can — 1/16 to 1/8 inch — using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Uniform thin slices are what give sunomono its glassy texture.
2. Toss the slices in a bowl with the 1 teaspoon kosher salt until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes; you'll see a pool of liquid collect at the bottom of the bowl.
3. While the cucumbers cure, put the dried wakame in a separate small bowl and cover with 2 cups cool water. Let it rehydrate 5 to 8 minutes, until fully soft and expanded — it will grow several times in volume. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water, and squeeze gently. If any pieces are large or have tough ribs, chop them into bite-size strips.
4. Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and a pinch of fine sea salt until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 30 seconds. Taste — it should be brightly sour with just enough sweetness to round it off.
5. Working in two or three handfuls, gather the salted cucumbers in your palms over the sink and squeeze firmly to expel the liquid. You want them limp and noticeably reduced in volume, but stop short of crushing them into mush. Do not rinse — the residual salt is part of the seasoning.
6. Combine the squeezed cucumbers and drained wakame in a clean dry bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Chill at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours so the flavors set and the salad gets properly cold.
7. Just before serving, toss once more and lift the salad into small chilled bowls with a slotted spoon, spooning a little of the dressing over each. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and scallion greens if using.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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