Side Dish: United States – Chilled Cucumber and Seaweed Salad with Sesame Citrus-Soy Dressing

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 10 min

Total 25 min

Ingredients

1 English cucumber (about 12 oz / 340 g) or 2–3 Persian cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1 / 2 oz (15 g) dried wakame seaweed
1 tsp kosher salt (for salting cucumbers; will be rinsed off)
2 tbsp (30 ml) ponzu sauce (or 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp lemon or yuzu juice)
1 tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar or mirin
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp (8 g) toasted sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
Optional: a few thin slices of red onion or 4–6 radish rounds
Optional: pinch of shichimi togarashi or red pepper flakes

Instructions

Place dried wakame in a bowl of cold water and soak 5–10 minutes until expanded. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop into bite-size pieces if large.
Toss the cucumber slices with the kosher salt in a colander and let sit 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Rinse briefly under cold water and gently squeeze/dab dry.
In a mixing bowl, whisk ponzu, rice vinegar, sugar (or mirin), sesame oil, and grated ginger until dissolved.
Add cucumbers and wakame to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Fold in optional red onion or radish if using.
Chill 5–10 minutes to let flavors meld. Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness with a splash more vinegar or a pinch of sugar if desired.
Finish with toasted sesame seeds (and a pinch of shichimi togarashi if using) and serve cold alongside the salmon teriyaki.