Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

This spicy cucumber salad is light and crunchy with a tangy vinegar dressing. It's best enjoyed as a side dish or appetizer.

When we lived in Denver, our favorite sushi restaurant had this cucumber salad on their menu. In Japan, they call this dish Sunomono. It has thinly sliced cucumber rounds in a sweet and tangy dressing and although it's so simple, it's slightly addicting.

Unlike typical salads, the cucumber slices become al dente after they've been sprinkled with salt to release some of their excess moisture. But, they still have this refreshing crunch. Then you're met with a little heat from the chili flakes and a sweet, tangy flavor from the vinegar based dressing.

Ingredients

• English/hot house cucumbers (Persian cucumbers will also work) - It's best to avoid using American slicing cucumbers. They have a thick, waxy skin, are full of seeds, aren't as crunchy, and often have a bitter taste.
• rice wine vinegar (also called rice vinegar)
• organic cane sugar
• red pepper flakes
• kosher salt

How to Make Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Slice & salt the cucumbers. Wash the cucumbers and trim off the ends. Using either a mandoline (my preferred method) or a sharp knife, cut the cucumber into ⅛ inch rounds and put in a colander. Sprinkle them with salt and mix with your hands. Set aside in the sink for 10 minutes.

Make the dressing. While the cucumber rests, make the dressing by adding the rice wine vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt to a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

Remove the extra moisture. After the 10 minutes are up, gently squeeze the cucumbers to release their excess water. Place the tender cucumber slices in a bowl, add the dressing, and toss to combine. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Make It Your Way: Ingredient Substitutions

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this Asian cucumber salad using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

• Don't like spicy food? ➝ leave it out, but add one of the add-ins below
• No rice wine vinegar? ➝ other kinds of vinegar that will work: white wine, champagne, or raw apple cider
• No organic cane sugar? ➝ raw honey will work
• Add-in ideas ➝ minced garlic, finely diced shallot, a splash of coconut aminos, soy sauce, sesame seeds instead (black or white, toasted or raw - toasted will have more flavor)

Helpful Tips

Use a mandoline

The easiest way to get consistently thin slices is using a mandoline slicer with a cut-proof glove. This salad is already easy to make, but this tool makes it so much easier.

Salting the cucumbers

This really helps with their texture, so don't skip this step.

Storage

Store this cucumber salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

More Healthy Salads You'll Love

• Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Feta & Mint
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Simple Butter Lettuce Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
• Fennel Salad with Lemon-Mint Dressing

Please let me know how your cucumber salad turns out in the comments!