Sunomono with Shrimp

Cucumber salad gets an upgrade thanks to shrimp, tomatoes, and seaweed.

Active Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
Servings: 6

This Japanese cucumber salad from 2000 F&W Best New Chef Takashi Yagihashi is simple, elegant, and perfectly balanced. Salted cucumbers, rehydrated wakame seaweed, and plump shrimp are tossed with a refreshing rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil dressing. Serve this cucumber salad as a first course or side dish for a potluck. 

What is wakame?

Wakame is a mild flavored edible seaweed that’s common in Japanese and Korean cooking. It’s often used in salads, soups, and stews to provide a salty, briny flavor and chewy texture along with umami. Find it dried or salted in snack-like sheets in most well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets.   

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Use a mandoline to get the most even and consistent slices of cucumber. To scoop out the cucumber seeds, use a slim, small spoon or teaspoon measure. 

Make ahead

The dressing, shrimp, and tomatoes can be prepared and refrigerated separately for up to three days. Prepare the cucumbers and toss them with the remaining components just before serving.

Ingredients

Dressing

• 3/4 cup rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Salad

• 6 cups water

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• 1 pound extra-large (26/30 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 English cucumber

• 3 tablespoons dehydrated cut wakame seaweed

• 12 cherry tomatoes (4 to 5 ounces), halved

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Make the dressing

   Whisk together vinegar, water, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove saucepan from heat when mixture comes to a boil; transfer mixture to a heatproof container. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. When cold, whisk in sesame oil.

2. Make the salad

   Bring hot water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Add shrimp to boiling water, and cook until opaque, about 1 minute. Transfer shrimp to ice water using a slotted spoon, and let stand until chilled, about 5 minutes. Set hot shrimp cooking water aside.

3. While water comes to a boil, slice cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scoop out seeds from middle of cucumber. Cut cucumber into 1/8-inch-thick slices by hand or using a mandoline. Place sliced cucumber in a medium bowl. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and toss well until salt granules are no longer visible, about 30 seconds; let stand for 10 minutes.

4. While cucumber slices stand, stir wakame into reserved hot shrimp water in saucepan; let stand until softened and malleable, about 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, and drain; repeat rinsing and draining process 3 times. Squeeze out excess moisture using hands, and set aside.

5. Rinse cured cucumbers with cold water, and drain in a colander. Arrange cucumbers in an even layer on paper towels; roll up, jelly roll-style, to remove excess moisture from cucumbers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. To serve, toss together cucumbers, wakame, and tomatoes on a rimmed serving platter or in a shallow bowl. Arrange shrimp on top, and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds.