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.
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