One of my favorites when I go for sushi is the cucumber salad- and this recipe captures it all! I have seen that Japanese cucumbers work best, but have made this with standard cucumbers, as well as English cucumbers (in photos), and both work great. The skin from the standard cucumbers can be a bit thick, so I peel off the skin. This side dish is also super quick to make, just a few steps and ingredients- 20 minutes tops!
It is not only great with sushi, but also the perfect fresh side for ramen, lettuce wraps, stir-fry, fried rice, etc.
Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)
Slice 2-3 cucumbers as thin as you can. I have always hand sliced, but a mandolin, or slicer accessory for a food processor would work well.
Add sliced cucumbers to a bowl
Heavily Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and toss with your hands to make sure the salt is covering all the cucumbers. This will draw out the moisture.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes to draw out the moisture.
While the cucumbers are in the salt, make the dressing.
Dressing:
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soy salt
Whisk together in a small bowl, till sugar is dissolved and set aside.
Next rinse the cucumbers well, to remove the salt.
Now it is time to squeeze-squeeze the cucumbers in handful batches, hard, several times to remove all extra moisture/liquid. Don't worry about the cucumbers, they can handle it :).
Put squeezed cucumbers into a bowl.
Pour dressing over the cucumbers and toss.
Top with sesame seeds.
That is it! You are ready to serve!
Nutritional Notes:
Rice Vinegar: Rice Vinegar: Is it Good for You? Pros and Cons, Nutrition Information, and More (webmd.com)
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