Side Dish: Japan – 柚子香るきゅうり大根の酢の物 ▶ Yuzu-Kaoru Kyuri Daikon no Sunomono (Yuzu-Perfumed Cucumber-Daikon Sunomono)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 2

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 0 min

Additional 20 min

Total 35 min

Ingredients

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup (120 g) daikon, very thin half-moons or matchsticks
1 tsp kosher salt (for purging vegetables)
1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed (optional)
3 tbsp (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp yuzu juice (or 1 / 2 tsp yuzu kosho mixed with 2 tsp water)
1 to 1 1 / 2 tbsp sugar, to taste
1 / 2 tsp soy sauce
1 / 4 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
1 small scallion, thinly sliced
A few paper-thin ginger slices, cut into fine threads (optional)

Instructions

Place cucumbers and daikon in a bowl, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss. Let stand 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture, then quickly rinse and squeeze dry.
If using wakame, soak in cold water 5 minutes to rehydrate, then drain, squeeze, and chop.
In a small bowl, whisk rice vinegar, yuzu juice (or diluted yuzu kosho), sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves.
Combine vegetables (and wakame, if using) with the dressing and toss well. Chill 10 minutes to marry flavors.
Before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, scallion, and ginger threads. Taste and adjust with a splash more vinegar or a pinch of sugar as desired.