Japanese
Sunomono
Paper-thin cucumbers and tender wakame in a clear sweet-tart rice-vinegar dressing, briefly salted for crisp, pliant slices that refresh the palate without tasting heavily pickled.
4 servings · 18 minutes prep
Ingredients
Cucumber and Wakame
- 10 ounces Japanese or Persian cucumbers, trimmed and sliced 1/16 inch thick
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon dried cut wakame
Sweet Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce
Directions
Salt the Cucumber
- Toss the cucumbers with the fine sea salt and rest for 10 minutes, turning once, until the rounds bend without snapping.
- Gather the slices in small handfuls and squeeze gently but firmly over the bowl. Stop once steady dripping becomes occasional drops; do not wring or crush the cucumber.
Rehydrate the Wakame
- Cover the dried wakame with plenty of cool water for 5 minutes, or just until fully opened and tender. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, rinse once, and press out water with the back of a spoon.
Dress and Chill
- Stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce until the sugar dissolves. Fold in the cucumber and wakame without tangling or tearing them.
- Chill for 10 minutes, toss once more, and divide among four small bowls with a spoonful of the clear dressing in each. Serve cool, not frozen-cold.
