Japanese Cucumber Salad

As I said in my previous post, tonight is Asian food night, and we are having salmon with a few side dishes. The first is mahogany noodles, and the second is Japanese cucumber salad.

Cucumbers are delicious and refreshing. I will snack on them alone, or drizzle them with a little soy sauce and vinegar. They are also really healthy, so if you are looking for a yummy snack, this is the way to go!

First you slice your cucumbers really thinly. Toss them with some salt. This draws out the extra water in them.

Then whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds until the sugar dissolves.

Finally, drain the extra water from the cucumbers, and then toss them with the sauce.

It was very refreshing :). I made half a recipe because I only had one cucumber, and it was great as a side dish for my family, but I would have been happy with the whole recipe! The sauce was not too sweet, but not too salty either. This is a really quick salad that you can make with just a few ingredients. I will definitely be making this again :).
Here's the recipe:

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers
1/2 T salt
1/2 cup white rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
2 T sugar
1/2 t sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Cut the cucumbers into paper-thin slices. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the salt and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Drain the cucumber slices in a colander and gently squeeze them with your hands to squeeze out excess water. Return the slices to a large bowl and toss with the soy sauce mixture. Transfer the cucumbers to a serving dish.
4. Eat.

Source: Appetite for China