Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) is a crunchy salad that makes a refreshing side dish to Asian recipes, sandwiches, burgers, etc. These healthy sweet and sour pickled cucumbers are packed with flavor.
My obsession to recreate the perfect Japanese cucumber salad started with our latest curry take out dinner. Along with my miso glazed salmon they sent along a crisp cucumber side salad. It looked so beautifully fresh and clean I downed the whole thing before we even unpacked our dinner (my husband hates when I do that.)
But here’s the thing: this salad is a masterful combination of refreshing cukes plus that zingy Asian combo of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame and chile that’s too good to ignore. Oh, and the crushed peanuts ~ gah!
Sunomono (soon-oh-MONO)
It refers to a style of raw vinegar marinated dishes in Japanese cuisine that are served as sides or appetizers. They can range from veggies to seafood. The sweet ~ sour ~ crunchy effect is super refreshing and enhances the appetite. Try it with your next sandwich or burger, you’ll fall in love like I did.
shopping list for Japanese cucumber salad
- Slender thin skinned cucumbers
- aka pickling, Persian, Kirby, Lebanese, English. These types of cucumbers have thin skins that aren’t bitter, and fewer seeds than the common garden cuke ~ perfect for this salad.
- roasted peanuts
- you can also use toasted sesame seeds.
- soy sauce
- I love tamari style soy sauce which is a little richer, with a less sharp and salty bite to it. It’s also gluten free.
- rice wine vinegar
- rice vinegar is milder than other vinegars, and I recommend it for Japanese cucumber salad. You can also use cider vinegar.
- fresh garlic
- chili oil
- sesame oil
- this is one of my favorite oils, the flavor is insane!
- sugar
- a tiny bit of sugar brings all the flavors together.
- red pepper flakes
- cilantro
- cilantro haters leave it out.
prepping cucumbers is easy and fun
- Don’t peel them, the skin is thin and delicious, and gives the cucumbers structure. If you like you can partially peel them by running a zesting tool down the sides. My mom used to scrape the sides with the tines of a fork. It makes a decorative edging.
- Slice them on a diagonal, which is not only pretty, but exposes more flesh to the dressing.
- Slice them up to an hour before serving. I don’t advise doing this very far in advance because cukes release water and become less crisp after being cut.
do you drain the cucumbers for cucumber salad?
I don’t, but you can if you like. Draining can help remove some of the excess moisture, resulting in a crispier texture in the final salad.
The simplest way to do this is to arrange the sliced cucumbers on a thick layer of paper towels and allow some of the excess moisture to drain before adding to your salad.
my favorite Japanese dressing
The dressing is a star of any Japanese cucumber salad, it’s simple, but so flavorful. It’s a great idea to make up a jar of it for the fridge to have cucumber salad on demand for a week or more. Use it on regular green salad as well.
- Mix equal parts soy sauce with rice wine vinegar for the base, it’s essentially a simple pickling brine.
- Add other ingredients to taste like chile oil, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar.
There’s room for variation here, but start with the basic ingredients to experience the classic flavor.
cucumber salad faqs
- Can you make a cucumber salad ahead of time? I don’t recommend making this more than a few hours ahead, the cukes will be at their crunchiest then. You will still enjoy the leftovers the next day, but the salad is best the same day.
- Is cucumber salad healthy? Yes, it’s low in calories and fat, full of fiber, and hydrating. Soy sauce is high in sodium so be aware of that if you’re watching your salt intake.
- I’m allergic to allergic to peanuts, what else can I use? Use sesame seeds instead, black or white will work.
- Can you use regular cucumbers for this salad? Smaller cucumbers are best but larger ones can be used. I suggest using a small spoon to scoop out the center seeds before slicing. And with regular cukes you’ll want to peel or partially peel the tough skins.
- What can you add? How about some shredded seaweed (wakame), or pickled ginger. Add tiny shrimp, crabmeat, or even canned tuna to make it a delicious lunch.
- What goes well with Japanese cucumber salad? In Japanese cuisine salads like this are served with just about everything. It’s wonderful with any kind of curry, or fried rice, or stir fry dish. I use it just like I would coleslaw or a side salad with sandwiches, burgers, grilled chicken and steak, etc.
More Japanese inspired recipes to explore
- Miso Glazed Salmon
- Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry Bowl
- Japanese ochazuke with fried rice cakes and salmon
- Japanese Pork Dumplings
- Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli Rice
- Edamame Salad
- Easy Miso Soup
- Grilled Shishito Peppers
Japanese Cucumber Salad
Video
Ingredients
dressing
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chile oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
salad
- 12 ounces small cucumbers
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts
- fresh cilantro leaves
- red chile flakes to taste
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together and be sure to taste it to adjust anything you like.
- Finely grind the peanuts in a food processor using the pulsing button. You want them to be very fine but be careful not to go too far and turn them into peanut butter! Alternatively you can use a rolling pin to crush the peanuts: just place them in a zip lock baggie and pound or roll over them.
- Thinly slice the cucumbers on the diagonal. If you would like to remove part of the peel first, you can run a zesting tool down the sides, or simply run the tines of a fork down the sides to create a decorative edge.
- Put the cucumbers in a bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat thoroughly, you may not need all of it. Toss with the crushed peanuts, sprinkle with chile flakes,and top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. I like to serve this within a few hours of making, but it will keep overnight.
Notes
- Don’t peel them, the skin is thin and delicious, and gives the cucumbers structure. If you like you can partially peel them by running a zesting tool down the sides. My mom used to scrape the sides with the tines of a fork. It makes a decorative edging.
- Slice them on a diagonal, which is not only pretty, but exposes more flesh to the dressing.
- Slice them up to an hour before serving. I don’t advise doing this very far in advance because cukes release water and become less crisp after being cut.
This was incredible from thd first bite to the last!