Smashed Cucumber Salad with Ume Dressing
User Reviews
4.3
Smashed Cucumber Salad with Ume Dressing
Description
This salad begins with cucumbers that are smashed until cracked and torn into pieces, which creates an appealing texture and helps absorb the dressing. The dressing is prepared by boiling dashi, sake, mirin, and soy sauce and then mixing in umeboshi paste made from pitted Japanese pickled plums. The umeboshi imparts a distinctive salty-sour flavor.
Thinly sliced myoga ginger adds a sharp, aromatic contrast to the cool cucumber. Once combined, the salad offers a crisp, refreshing crunch with the complex, tangy ume dressing providing depth. It’s a light and flavorful side dish well suited for warm weather or to accompany Japanese meals.
Ingredients
- 2 cucumber 12 oz, 348 g; these two varieties have less seeds, so they work the best, Japanese or Persian varieties
- 2 myoga ginger (or substitute ¼ tsp grated ginger or skip)
- 2 umeboshi see my tutorial if you‘re interested in making Homemade Umeboshi, Japanese pickled plums
For the Umeboshi Sauce
- 3 Tbsp dashi Japanese soup stock
- 2 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Make the Umeboshi Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine all the Umeboshi Sauce ingredients: 3 Tbsp dashi (Japanese soup stock), 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Discard the bottoms of 2 myoga ginger and cut into thin slices.
- Make a slit on the flesh of 2 umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) and remove the seed. With the knife, pound it into a paste form.
- Add the umeboshi paste into the Umeboshi Sauce mixture. Mix to combine and set aside.
To Prepare the Cucumber
- Cut off the ends of 2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers and start mashing the cucumber with a wooden rolling pin or a surikogi (Japanese wooden pestle). The skin will begin to crack and the flesh will break down.
- You can tear the cucumber with your hands and continue smashing until the flesh breaks down to pieces.
- Put the smashed cucumber pieces into a bowl, add the myoga ginger, and pour the umeboshi sauce on top. Mix all together and serve!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Enjoy it soon.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4(as
Amount Per Serving
Calories 31 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 31kcal | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 246mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 48mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 29IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 5mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.3
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