Japanese Cucumber Salad

This is a simple and refreshing summer salad. Japanese Cucumber salad can be served as a side dish with any main course.

Appetizers Healthy Vegan

Japanese Cucumber salad is an easy way to turn a cucumber into a salad that your entire family will enjoy. The taste and texture of this dish combined with the simplicity in preparation make this simple salad an great choice with any meal.

Cucumbers are probably one of the most underrated vegetables I have come across. Healthy and nutritious, they can be added to salads, served on their own, made into drinks, and made into pickles. Japanese cucumbers (kyuri) sold in the grocery stores look a bit different than their counterparts in the US. They are a bit thinner and the skin is covered with small thorns that can be irritating to touch. But they are every bit as delicious and can be used in much the same way.

Three Japanese cucumbers on a wood plate sitting on a wooden tabletop — Japanese Cucumbers (Kyuri)

Although you can peel and dice your cucumbers, I use a julienne slicer to slice the cucumber in to long, thin strips. The increased surface area of the vegetables allows it to soak up more of that delicious Wafu dressing.

Japanese Cucumber salad using delicious Kyuri, is one of the simplest and most delicious appetizers you can make, refreshing on a hot day and not too heavy to fill you up. It goes well with virtually every meal and makes a terrific side dish.

If you enjoy Kyuri, you can also check out some other Japanese veggies on my blog.

(Originally Published June 2021, Republished January 2023)

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Japanese Cucumber salad uses julienne sliced cucumbers as the main ingredient. Japanese Wafu dressing and herbs like shiso and chives can accent the taste of the salad.

PREP	COOKING	YIELD
10 Minutes	5 Minutes	2 Servings

PREP	10 Minutes
COOKING	5 Minutes
YIELD	2 Servings

Ingredients:

2 medium Japanese cucumbers (Kyuri) or 1 large cucumber
2 Tbsp Japanese “Wafu” Dressing
Two Shiso leaves, finely shredded.

Instructions:

Wash: Wash the cucumbers. Peel if desired.
Slice:Using a spiral or julienne slicer, slice the cucumber into spaghetti-like strands.
Mix: Add the dressing and lightly mix in.
Top: Top with the shiso leaves and serve.

Notes:

For the salad dressing, any dressing that you enjoy makes a good topper. I like to use “Pietro Shoyu Dressing” as my “Wafu” Dressing. It’s available online or at most asian grocery stores. There is also a link below.
Shiso leaves are usually available in your local asian market. If you cannot find them then Chives, Parsley, Mitsuba, Italian Parsley, or Basil all work well with this dish.

Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.

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Jay H

Jay is a Project Manager for a U.S. Company that does business globally. He has worked and lived in many places and has spent time learning how to cook dishes from around the world. Currently based in Japan, he created the Mountain Plums website during the Covid pandemic as a way to express himself though cooking while staying active.