Japanese Cucumber Salad
A light and refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad that is a perfect side dish to a Japanese-style dinner. Thin slices of cucumber, wakame and roasted sesame seeds tossed with a tangy vinaigrette. It is easy to make and includes only three main ingredients…..Persian cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds and wakame. Variations include slices of cooked octopus or steamed shrimp.
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 86kcal
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1-1/2 tablespoons dried chopped wakame seaweed
- 3 Persian cucumbers
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon white toasted sesame seeds
For the Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce
Add Ons:
- 2 ounces boiled and chilled octopus sliced
- 4 steamed shrimp chilled
Instructions
- Add the dried wakame seaweed to a dish and pour 1 cup of cold water over. Let sit for 10-minutes to rehydrate the wakame.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel alternating strips of skin from the cucumber, then slice them into thin slices, about 1/8-inch.
- Sprinkle the cucumber slices with salt and gently toss. Let them rest for 5 minutes to draw out any liquid.
- Tip the cucumber slices into a colander to drain, gently pressing the slices to remove excess water.
- Add the drained cucumber slices and the sesame seeds to a salad bowl.
- Squeeze the water from the wakame seaweed and add to a salad bowl.
- In a small dish, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and soy sauce together.
- When ready to serve, pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber slices and toss to coat.
- Portion the salad equally into 4 small bowls and pass dishes of octopus slices and shrimp to add to the salads as desired.
Notes
- Persian cucumbers are available in most grocery stores. They can be substituted with English cucumbers which have more water and the salad will not be quite as crisp as if using Persian cucumbers
- A mandoline is ideal for slicing 1/8-inch uniform slices. The 2mm slicing blade of a food processor will also work.
- You can find packages of dried and cut wakame in Asian markets at an affordable cost.
- Packages of boiled octopus can be purchased in a Japanese deli with the sushi displays. For larger packages of octopus legs check with a fishmonger as they often keep a frozen supply.
- Keep the undressed salad refrigerated until ready to serve. To keep the cucumbers crisp and crunchy do not add the vinaigrette to the salad until ready to serve.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 698mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g