Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Ginger Salad
This refreshing salad has amazing flavor! It’s simple and easy and makes a great side dish for picnics, sushi rolls, and other Asian foods. Makes 4 cups salad.
Servings: 8 servings.
Calories: 11kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound cucumbers , about 3
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mirin (rice wine)
- 2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce , optional, (see note)
- 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds (see note)
Instructions
- Peel the cucumbers and trim the ends. Run the tines of a fork in parallel lines down the length of the cucumbers to score what will be decorative lines on the slices.
- Cut the peeled cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.
- Slice thinly into half-moons, about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle the slices with salt; let drain in a colander over a plate 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and drain the cucumbers on towels. (see note)
- Make a dressing with the vinegar, mirin, ginger, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce, if using. Toss the cucumber with the dressing and the sesame seeds. Refrigerate to marinate about an hour.
Notes
- Sunomono dressings sometimes include a drop or two of soy sauce. For me, the dressing tastes best without the salty toasted caramel flavor. It's your option.
- You can use regular sesame seeds instead of black sesame seeds.
- You can skip salting and draining the cucumbers before adding the dressing, but the added step draws moisture out which gives the cucumbers a crisper texture.
- You can prep the cucumbers and the dressing ahead of time, but keep them separate. Toss everything together shortly before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg