Description
This Japanese Cucumber Salad is a light, refreshing side dish featuring crunchy cucumbers coated in a tangy and slightly sweet dressing. It’s perfect for pairing with a variety of meals and takes only 15 minutes to prepare. With simple ingredients like soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, this dish is both healthy and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2-3 Japanese cucumbers (or Persian/English cucumbers) – Thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers as thin as possible, between 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.
- Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the cucumbers and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, drain, wrap in a dish towel or paper towel, and squeeze out the moisture.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining salt, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the cucumbers to the bowl and toss to coat evenly with the dressing. Let the salad chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before serving to allow the cucumbers to absorb the flavors.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari.
- If you prefer a sweeter salad, increase the amount of sugar or use honey as a substitute.
- This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If using American cucumbers, make sure to remove the seeds before slicing to avoid excessive moisture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No-cook
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 37
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1046mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg