Sunomono 酢の物 (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Sunomono cucumber salad is a light and refreshing vinegared dish in Japanese cuisine.

Sunomono 酢の物 (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 tbsp dry wakame (dried seaweeds)
1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp dashi (dried anchovies and kelp stock ), or water

1/4 tsp black/white sesame seeds for garnish
slice of lemon for garnish

Instructions:
To make the sauce:
Mix mirin, rice vinegar, and dashi. *If you don't have dashi, you can use water.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Slice cucumber using a mandolin or knife in thin rounds.
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on the cut cucumbers and mix thoroughly. *Marinating the cucumbers in salt and water will soften them.
While waiting for the salt to seep into the cucumbers, place the dry wakame in a bowl with hot water for few minutes. *This will hydrate it, making it expand in the process.
When fully hydrated; wash in clean water and squeeze away the excess water.
When the cucumber has marinated, wash the slices in cool water and squeeze out the excess water.

To assemble:
Mix the cucumber and wakame with the sauce and add a garnish of sesame seeds and sliced lemon.

Serve and Enjoy!!!