Japanese Cucumber & Crab Salad
In Japan side dishes like these are referred to as Sunomono. Simply translated it means “vinegar foods”. Very similar to a kani salad this instead incorporates a quick pickle of thinly sliced cucumber and wakame seaweed in a semi-sweet rice vinegar, soy sauce dressing that’s perfectly sweet & tangy.
It’s super easy to make in less than 30 min from start to finish.
INGREDIENTS
1 large persian cucumber or 2 medium cucumbers
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 tbs dried wakame seaweed saled
3-4 pieces of imitation crab
White sesame seed
Black sesame
DRESSING
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 tbs sugar
1 tbs light soy sauce
1/3 tsp sea salt
1 tbs dashi (if you don’t have this, just double your soy sauce)
PREPARATION
Wash cucumbers
Peel cucumbers in stripes, leaving some stripes of skin intact
3. Slice cucumbers very thinly by hand or use a mandolin
4. Place all cucumbers in mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp sea salt and toss and evenly distribute salt with hands. After 3 min, mix and toss by hand again.
5. Place dried wakame in bowl, and add 4 cups water and let soak in cool water. After 10 min squeeze seaweed in your hands till all excess water has been removed.
6. Cut imitation crabs sticks in half (not lengthwise) and shred by hand or if they unroll, unroll and slice thinly.
7. Mix all ingredients for dressing in measuring cup and whisk with fork
8. Pour dressing over salad mixture and serve immediately or chill and serve. Best eaten within 24-48 hours.