Sunomono — A Japanese Cucumber Salad - Casa Adora

There was one pepino left. Not enough for a salad, too good to ignore. It became sunomono — a Japanese cucumber salad that takes ten minutes and asks very little of the kitchen.

In Japan this would be a cucumber. At Casa Adora it's a pepino from Marta's store in the village — slender, thin-skinned, and considerably crisper than anything that's travelled far to get here.

The classic sunomono uses wakame seaweed, soaked and drained. I used nori arrostito — roasted seaweed sheets, cut into strips, added directly to the dressing. It softens in the vinegar without needing to be rehydrated and brings a more intense, savoury note than wakame. A Casa Adora variation rather than a straight substitution, and one worth making again.

Sunomono Recipe — Japanese Cucumber Salad
Serves 1
Prep: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pepino (or 1 small English cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers)
• ½ tbsp sea salt
• 1–2 sheets nori arrostito, cut into thin strips (or ⅓ cup dried wakame, soaked and drained)
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds

Method

1. Thinly slice the pepino into round coins — a mandoline if you have one, a sharp knife if you don't.
2. Place in a bowl, toss with the sea salt, and leave for 5 minutes. The salt draws out excess moisture and keeps the pepino crisp.
3. Squeeze the pepino slices firmly with your hands to wring out the liquid. Discard the liquid.
4. Cut the nori into thin strips. If using wakame, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry.
5. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce until the sugar dissolves.
6. Toss the pepino and nori in the dressing. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Cook's Notes on Sunomono

Pepino works particularly well here — its thin skin needs no peeling and its crispness holds up well to the salt and vinegar. If you're using English cucumber, peel it first.

Serve immediately — sunomono doesn't keep. The dressing continues to soften the pepino and the nori loses its texture within an hour.

The toasted sesame seeds matter. Untoasted won't give you the same nutty depth. If yours aren't toasted, 2 minutes in a dry pan over medium heat is all it takes.

FOOTNOTES

This sunomono recipe features in my Gut Health Recipes collection — real food from a rural Andalucían kitchen, built around fermented foods, high-fibre pulses, wholegrains and prebiotic-rich ingredients.
It also features in my Veg, Fruit & Pulses and Veggie & Vegan collections.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef