Quick Cucumber Salad (Japanese Lightly Pickled-Style)

Have you ever told your kids, "Dinner will be ready in five minutes!" only to realize... there are no veggies on the table?
That's exactly how this simple cucumber salad became a lifesaver in our house.

This cucumber dish is one of the most-made recipes in our home during the spring and summer months. It's packed with umami-rich flavor from kombu dashi, melded together with the nutty aroma of sesame oil and seeds. The best part? It comes together so quickly — perfect for those last-minute moments when you realize you need a refreshing vegetable side dish.

RECIPE

Servings: 2-3

Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

5 Persian cucumbers
1/2 tbsp kombu dashi powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions:

Prepare the cucumbers:
Cut off both ends of each cucumber.
Place a wooden spatula (or something similar) over the cucumber and gently smash it. This will help break it open naturally.
Open up the smashed cucumbers and remove the seedy middle parts.
Tear the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces by hand and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Season:
Add the kombu dashi powder, sesame oil, and ground sesame seeds to the bowl.
Mix everything together well, ensuring the cucumbers are evenly coated.

ingredients shopping

Japanese Pickles (Light Version):

In Japanese home cooking, pickles—known as tsukemono—are an essential part of daily meals. They offer a refreshing contrast to rice and main dishes, and are often made with seasonal vegetables. Among the many types of pickles, Asazuke (浅漬け) and Sokuseki-zuke (即席漬け) are two of the quickest and easiest methods, perfect for everyday meals. It doesn’t mean it’s always pickled, it’s sometimes just salted or seasoned for the preservative purpose.

What is Asazuke?

Asazuke literally means "lightly pickled" It refers to vegetables that are seasoned for a short amount of time—usually from 30 minutes to a few hours. Unlike fermented pickles, Asazuke are crisp, lightly salted, and retain much of the vegetable’s natural color, texture, and flavor. Common vegetables used include cucumbers, napa cabbage, daikon, and carrots.

What is Sokuseki-zuke?

Sokuseki-zuke means "instant pickled" It’s essentially a subcategory or ultra-quick prepared version of Asazuke, where the pickling, or seasoning happens in under 30 minutes—sometimes even just 5–10 minutes before serving. The flavor is even milder than Asazuke, and the goal is to quickly season raw vegetables for immediate use.