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    Home » Recipe

    Published: Feb 23, 2023 by maxcozzi · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Cucumber Wakame Salad

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    I love serving a quick pickled cucumber wakame salad as a simple side dish for some grilled fish or fried rice. It's a quick and easy way to get some veggies on the table for your next dinner. 

    Cucumber Wakame Salad

    In Japan, the term sunomono refers to a side salad of vegetables dressed in vinegar. It can any range of vegetables such as cucumber, daikon radish, carrots, etc. I really enjoy the simple combo of wakame seaweed and cucumbers though. Cucumbers are really great at soaking up flavor (think pickles), and seaweed adds great texture and umami flavor. 

    I typically always have a bag of dried wakame sitting in my pantry. It takes up very little space and with just a few tablespoons of you can have a cucumber wakame salad in no time. 

    For the salad dressing, I use a traditional mix of rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and sake. It's a pretty unstoppable combo of flavors, and if you let the cucumber slices sit in the dressing for 15-20 minutes they basically become quick pickles. 

    cucumber wakame salad

    Cucumber Wakame Salad

    A quick and easy salad using dried wakame seaweed and cucumbers.
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    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Author: Max Cozzi
    Servings: 4 (as a side)
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon sake
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, (Japanese shoyu works well)
    • 1 tablespoon mirin
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 large cucumber, (sliced very thinly, I like english cucumbers, if you can find small japanese cucumbers uses 3-4)
    • 3 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed
    • furikake or togarashi, (optional, for serving)

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, add the dried wakame seaweed and and a cup or two of warm water. Let the seaweed expand in the water for about 5 minutes then drain and squeeze any excess water out.
    • Then, in a large bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, salt, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
    • Add the wakame seaweed and sliced cucumbers and toss well, set aside for at least 5 minutes but up to an hour.
      cucumber wakame salad
    • With a slotted spoon, scoop the salad into a serving dish and sprinkle some furikake or togarashi on top.

    Notes

    This salad comes together quick and can be enjoyed right away, however it will get better the longer it sits. Prepare up to an hour ahead of time for a great dinner party side. 
    Course: dinner, lunch, Side Dish, sides
    Cuisine: Japanese
    Keyword: cucumber, salad, seaweed, sesame, wakame
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    Max Cozzi, the creator of Redwood Kitchen food blog

    Hi, I'm Max! Welcome to Redwood Kitchen, where you will find tasty and approachable recipes. I am inspired by life in the PNW, from the Mediterranean climate to the asian influenced culinary scene.

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