Thick cucumber rounds glossed with a pale ginger dressing and sprinkled with sesame seeds in a blue polka-dot bowl on a red table. — Photo: Anagoria · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Japanese · Lunch · Dinner · Snack

Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Name: Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 3 medium Japanese or Persian cucumbers; 1/2 tsp Salt, for the cucumbers; 1 tbsp Dried wakame seaweed; 1 cup Cold water, for soaking wakame; 4 tbsp Unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 tsp Sugar; 1 pinch Salt, for the dressing; 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds; 1 tsp Fresh ginger, finely grated

酢の物

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 11, 2026 · How we make recipes

Paper-thin cucumber slices and silky wakame in a bright, lightly sweetened rice vinegar dressing, finished with toasted sesame. A crisp, refreshing side that cuts through rich dishes.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: No cooking
Total: 20 min
Serves: 4

Easy
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Low Carb

Per serving39kcal2% of a 2,000 kcal day

1gProtein

6gCarbs

1gFat

1gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 61% · Fat 27% · Protein 12%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

3 medium300 gJapanese or Persian cucumbers
1/2 tspSalt, for the cucumbers
1 tbspDried wakame seaweed
1 cup240 gCold water, for soaking wakame
4 tbsp60 gUnseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp8 gSugar
1 pinchSalt, for the dressing
1 tbsp9 gToasted sesame seeds
1 tsp5 gFresh ginger, finely grated (optional)

Steps

1
Place the dried wakame in a bowl with the cold water and leave to rehydrate for about 10 minutes.
2
Trim the ends of the cucumbers and slice them as thinly as you can, ideally 1-2 mm, with a knife or mandoline.
3
Toss the cucumber slices with the 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl and leave for 10 minutes to draw out water.
4
Whisk the rice vinegar, sugar and pinch of salt together until the sugar dissolves; stir in the grated ginger if using.
5
Drain the wakame, squeeze out the excess water and chop any large pieces.
6
Gently squeeze the cucumber slices by handfuls to remove as much liquid as possible, and discard the liquid.
7
Combine the cucumber and wakame, pour over the dressing and toss.
8
Divide into small bowls, spoon over a little of the dressing and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve chilled.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Use an English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out, if Japanese or Persian cucumbers are hard to find.
Replace the sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup or agave, and the dish stays vegan.
Leave out the wakame for an easier-to-shop, cucumber-only version, which is the style shown in the photo.
Add a splash of tamari for a savoury note, choosing one labelled gluten-free if you need the dish to stay gluten-free.

Storage

Sunomono is best eaten fresh, as the cucumbers soften and release water as they sit. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 1 day, and do not freeze.

Make ahead

Whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, and toast the sesame seeds in advance. Slice, salt and dress the cucumbers no more than an hour or two before serving so they stay crisp.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: Sesame

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (156 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	39 kcal	25 kcal
Protein	1.2 g	0.8 g
Carbohydrates	6.2 g	4 g
of which sugars	3.3 g	2.1 g
Fiber	0.7 g	0.4 g
Fat	1.2 g	0.8 g
of which saturated	0.2 g	0.1 g
Sodium	431 mg	276 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.