Sesame Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipes

SUNOMONO SALAD RECIPE (JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD)

Steps:

• Slice all the cucumbers very thin and transfer to a medium sized bowl.
• Sprinkle with salt and toss with your hands to ensure even salt coverage to draw out moisture, Wait 5-10 minutes.
• Then rinse the cucumbers thoroughly to remove the salt, drain, then squeeze all the cucumbers to remove excess moisture. The goal is to remove as much water as you can. Don't be afraid to squeeze hard, the cucumbers can take it!
• Mix the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, soy sauce until dissolved, then add to cucumbers.
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD (SPIRAL-CUT WITH SESAME DRESSING)

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry the cucumbers. Trim the tip ends.
• Place one cucumber between two chopsticks that you don't mind scuffed up. This prevents you from cutting through (i.e. break) the cucumbers.
• Make thin straight cuts on the top, about 2mm slices.
• Flip the cucumber over (with the unsliced surface facing you), make thin slices on diagonal at 45 degrees.
• Optional step. Cut the cucumber into halves. This will be easier to eat. Or you can leave them in whole for a more dramatic presentation.
• In a large bowl, add the cucumbers and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands to gently rub/distribute the salt to each piece. Take care not to break the cucumber. Set a timer and refrigerate for 15 minutes only.
• In the meantime, make the salad dressing by following the instructions here.
• Rinse the cucumbers under cold tap water for 3-4 times and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
• Combine the cucumbers with the dressing right before serving. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if using. Serve cold.

QUICK AND EASY ASIAN SESAME CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Cut cucumbers into long, thin noodle shapes using a spiralizer set to the thinnest setting.
• Place cucumber noodles in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss until combined. Let cucumber stand until moisture is drawn out, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar together in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cucumber; toss gently until coated. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

JAPANESE-STYLE CUCUMBER SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.
• Cut up the cucumber into bite sized pieces. Bash them up a bit with the side of your kitchen knife - this allows the dressing to sink into them.
• Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan, shaking occasionally, until a few seeds pop. Immediately transfer the seeds to a plate (if you leave them in the pan they may get burned).
• Mix the lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, dashi stock granules and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved. Taste, and add a pinch of salt if you think it needs it. Add the sesame oil (or you can just drizzle on the sesame oil when you assemble the salad).
• Combine the cucumbers with the dressing and the sesame seeds. Serve right away or leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a stronger flavor.
• Note: If you're using small Japanese cucumbers any other small, immature cucumber, you don't need to de-seed them. Just cut them up and bash a bit. (This bashing thing, is a real cooking method in Japanese cooking. It helps the flavors to penetrate the bashed up vegetable better.).
• If you use white balsamic vinegar instead of the rice or white wine vinegar, you can decrease or even omit the sugar.
• This sesame dressing is very versatile. Try it with any number of vegetables. It's great on a leafy green salad. You can increase the sesame oil if you want it to have a richer sesame flavor. Add some chili pepper flakes to make it spicy, and/or some grated garlic for a more Korean-tasting twist.Add some shredded poached chicken breast to the cucumbers for a more substantial salad.

JAPANESE CUCUMBER SESAME SALAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Toss to combine well.
• Add salt, if needed, to taste (you probably won't need any).
• Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.

SESAME JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• In a small glass bowl (just easier to clean up than plastic) mix together vinegar, sesame oil, mustard, soy sauce and tabasco sauce.
• Stir until completely combined.
• Thinly slice your cucumbers.
• Combine the cucumbers and dressing mixture.
• Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.