This healthy and refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono) is simple to throw together and packed with a ton of flavor! Crunchy sliced cucumbers are tossed with an Asian inspired dressing of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar! This will be your new go to side dish!

Love quick and easy side dish recipes? Then try my Quick Pickled Red Onions and my Cucumber Avocado Salad!

how to make Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe

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    What Is Japanese Cucumber Salad?

    This super simple and delicious side dish consists of sliced cucumbers tossed with an Asian-style dressing made of low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil (toasted is preferred), brown sugar, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Then, it’s topped with crunchy sesame seeds, and voila! Your Asian cucumber salad is done! Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes, or so, if time allows, but you can definitely dig in right away.

    how to make Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe

    This is the perfect summer side dish because it’s light, refreshing, and super flavorful. It’s super satisfying without weighing you down! I love to serve this at weekend barbecues with grilled chicken or steak kebabs, roasted asparagus, quick pickled red onions, and some blueberry cobbler for dessert. Heaven!

    This would also be a great meal-prep dish and weeknight recipe, especially if served with some Asian-style grilled chicken or fish, roasted broccoli, and some fluffy brown rice.

    variations

    • Looking for more Asian flavor? Add a splash of fish sauce or chopped Thai basil for more umami-goodness!
    • Add more veggies like sliced or shredded carrots, sliced onions, or sliced bell peppers.
    • Make this homemade cucumber salad more filling by mixing in some nuts like chopped roasted peanuts or sliced almonds!
    • Turn this into a salad with your favorite leafy green lettuce, kale, and/or spinach, along with some protein like my chicken katsu. Yum!
    • Spice it up with some sliced jalapenos or serrano peppers in place of the crushed red pepper flakes!
    how to make Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe

    how to make easy cucumber salad

    • All you need to do to make this Asian Cucumber Salad at home is to slice some fresh cucumbers to your preferred thickness and toss them with the prepared Asian-style marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving, and enjoy! It is easy to customize the dressing to your liking. If you want it sweeter add more sugar, less heat add more crushed red pepper flakes!
    • Wanting to make this for meal-prep? Go for it! Store the assembled cucumber salad in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 2 days. Any longer than that, and the acids in the dressing will break down the cucumbers and make them mushy.

    what to serve with cucumber salad

    how to make japanese cucumber salad recipe

    More Side Dish Recipes To Try

    Japanese Cucumber Salad

    5 from 16 votes
    This healthy and refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad recipe is simple to throw together and packed with a ton of flavor despite its simple ingredients.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes

    Ingredients 

    Instructions 

    • Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
    • Pour asian dressing on to the cucumbers and toss to combine. Serve with extra crushed red pepper flakes on top and sesame seeds for garnish!

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 274mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 199IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

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