I love salads and try to eat a few big ones every week. The real truth is I don’t actually love the salads as much as the dressings that I make. The veggies in the salad are really just a form of Dressing Delivery Mechanism.

I make all sorts of homemade salad dressings. Some may know that I have a legendary Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe. People like it so much that I get requests constantly from friends and family. I often give it as a gift. In fact my nephew used to request it as his birthday present every year.

Well to the chagrin of some, I don’t ever actually give that recipe away, but today I am going to share my twist on a classic Japanese Style Cucumber Salad.

Sunomono is a Japanese cucumber salad that typically includes cucumber and wakame (a type of edible seaweed) marinated in a tangy, sweet dressing. It’s often served at Japanese restaurants, where sometimes it’s just called a cucumber salad. In any case, it’s super delicous and very refreshing.

The traditional Sunomono dressing recipe calls for just three main ingredients. Sugar, Soy Sauce and Rice Vinegar.

Although a little sugar isn’t going to kill you, I prefer to limit sugar in my Personal Eating Plan as much as possible. Rather than just leave out the sugar entirely (which you can do for a more tangy version). I like to use a little stevia or monk fruit so I do get that little bit of sweetness. Also in addition the Rice Vinegar and Soy Sauce I like to add some sesame oil for a creamier mouth feel and a richer taste.

Sunomono TAKU Style

You will need:

Rice Wine Vinegar

English or Persian Cucumbers (I use English Hot House Style)

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Tamari or Soy Sauce (I use Braggs Liquid Amino’s)

Take out your cucumbers and make sure you wash them well. If you are making just enough for yourself you won’t need too much. One big cucumber will probably do. Some people like to peel them first (which is what I do) some leave the peel on. Once you have decided peel on or off, then, slice them very thin. You may either use a knife and cut them by hand (which is what I do), or you can get a little assistance from a mandolin. Use the ⅛ inch setting if you like super thin slices. I prefer them a bit thicker so I get a nice crunch.

Set the sliced cucumbers aside and let them stand.

Now let’s make that dressing. If you are making just enough for yourself you won’t need too much. My base dressing consists of the following:

Rice Wine Vinegar: 2 Tbsp.

Sesame Oil: 2 Tbsp.

Tamari or Soy Sauce 1-2 Tbsp. (depends on how salty you like it)

Stevia or Monk Fruit powder 2-3 tsp.

Whisk all of these ingredient together in a bowl.

Now, I like to eat my cucumber salad as fresh as possible. This way the cucumbers are very crisp and crunchy. If you marinate them ahead of time and let them sit too long they will become limp and soggy. Some don’t mind this consistency, but I find most prefer the crunch. So don’t combine all of the ingredient until you are ready to enjoy them.

Finally throw the sliced cucumbers in a a nice bowl and toss all of the dressing in there with them. Mix it all up with a spoon so you can be sure to get some dressing everywhere on every slice. Finally I sprinkle sesame seeds on top for a nice smoky flavor and a little more pizazz.

Eat this salad alone as an awesome snack, or have it as a side dish with any protein of choice. Finally you can add some shrimp in there or if you are going more old-school some octopus, squid, or scallops (YUMMY!!).

So what are you waiting for? Go shopping, build yourself a beautiful Sunomono, and impress your friends in the process.

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