Easy Cucumber and Seaweed Salad (Sweet & Tangy)

Name: Easy Cucumber and Seaweed Salad (Sweet & Tangy)
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cucumber; 2½ tablespoons cane sugar; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 small handful dried seaweed; ½ teaspoon minced garlic; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

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This Cucumber and Seaweed Salad is a quick and easy dish that's refreshing and endlessly craveable. Sweet, tangy, with a hint of umami, it's the kind of Asian-inspired healthy side dish that goes with almost anything, and disappears just as fast.

sliced cucumber with seaweed pieces in a pink flower shape plate, and a pair of chopsticks on the lower left corner on top of a small white plate.

Just like my Asian Cucumber Salad with Miso and Sesame, this cucumber salad is especially great for a hot summer day, or when you need a simple side dish to go with a hearty meal like Japanese Beef Curry or Lu Rou Fan. I love how it comes together quickly with just a few simple ingredients.

Adding seaweed brings a slightly meaty texture and umami flavor that pairs so well with the crisp cucumber. If you haven't tried this combination before, you're definitely missing out!

Why You Should Try This Recipe

It only take a few minutes to put together, no cooking required. Just slice, toss, and dress, perfect for a hot day when turning on the stove is the last thing you want to do.
The textures play off each other perfectly. Crisp, cool cucumber against the slightly chewy, "meaty" seaweed makes every bite more interesting than a typical cucumber salad.
It's the flavor balance you didn't know you needed. Sweet, tangy, and umami all in one bite, works well as a side for almost any meal.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here are the main ingredients you'll need for making this recipe. Check the recipe box below for the full ingredient list with actual measurement.

Labeled ingredients for cucumber and seaweed salad: cucumber, dried seaweed, sugar, sea salt, garlic, and rice vinegar."

Notes

Dried Seaweed - I used Korean dried seaweed, which you can buy it online or from your local Asian grocery store.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1 - Prepare cucumber

Peel the cucumber with a peeler, trim the ends and cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft seeds.

Two cucumber halves with seeds scooped out on a marble board, using a knife and spoon, with more cucumber slices in a bowl in the background."

Slice each half diagonally into thin slices.

Seeded cucumber halves sliced into thin, crescent-shaped pieces on a marble cutting board next to a knife."

Step 2 - Macerate the Cucumber

In a big bowl, mix cucumber slices with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of sea salt, let it sit for 15-30 minutes.

Cucumber slices topped with sugar in a white bowl, with a jar of sugar and measuring spoons in the background.

Step 3 - Prepare seaweed

Rehydrate the dried seaweed by soaking it in cold water for about 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and chop it into smaller pieces.

Rehydrated seaweed chopped into small pieces on a marble cutting board next to a knife.

Step 4 - Assemble

Drain the excess water from the cucumber, then add the minced garlic, seaweed, vinegar, and ½ tablespoon of sugar. Toss well to combine.

cucumber slices, chopped seaweed, and minced garlic in a white bowl.

You can enjoy it right away, or chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving for even better taste.

Finished cucumber and seaweed salad in a scalloped pink bowl, garnished with chopped seaweed, with chopsticks resting on a small plate in the background.

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Letting the cucumber sit with sugar and salt helps draw out excess water, keeping the salad crisp and removing the cucumber’s raw taste.

Traditionally, only salt is used in this step, but I find that it can make the cucumber too salty and even give it an unpleasant bitter taste. Using sugar with just a little salt works better.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this the night before and enjoy the next day?

Yes! This will taste just as good the next day. It might be a bit more tangy, as the cucumber will have soaked longer in the rice vinegar. Feel free to use a bit less rice vinegar if you're planning to make it ahead.

Can I add other ingredients, like sesame oil or chili flakes?

Absolutely! This salad is very forgiving and easy to customize. I recommend following my recipe the first time, and then adjusting it to your taste, or adding other ingredients like shredded carrots, sesame oil, sesame seeds, or chili flakes to make it your own.

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