Sunomono (Japanese Vinegared Salad)
酢の物 · Sunomono
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Sunomono is the classic Japanese vinegared side dish, and this is the version we serve in the preschool kitchen. Cucumber and wakame give it a cool crunch, tiny shirasu add a savory, calcium-rich touch, and a few pieces of canned mandarin orange bring a sweetness that wins over children who are wary of anything sour. The dressing is heated briefly to cook off the sharp edge of the vinegar, and every ingredient is blanched, which is how school kitchens in Japan handle food safety and also makes the cucumber softer and easier for small mouths to chew.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 28.5 gcucumber
- 0.6 gdried cut wakameSmall pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- 4.5 gshirasu (dried baby sardines)Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
- 18 gcanned mandarin oranges
Seasonings
- 0.9 gsugar
- 1.5 gvinegar
- 0.2 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- dried cut wakame (カットわかめ)
- Small pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- shirasu (dried baby sardines) (しらす干し)
- Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the cucumber into half-moons. Rehydrate the wakame in water and chop it finely. Blanch each separately, then rinse under running water to cool.
- 2
Briefly blanch the shirasu, rinse under running water and drain well. Drain the canned mandarin oranges.
- 3
Combine the seasonings and heat them to cook off the sharpness of the vinegar.
- 4
Squeeze the cucumber and wakame from step 1 to remove excess water, then toss with the shirasu and mandarins from step 2 and the dressing from step 3.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 24 kcal | 48 kcal | 24 kcal |
| Protein | 1.7 g | 3.3 g | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.8 g | 9.6 g | 4.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Calcium | 25.5 mg | 51 mg | 25.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 81 mg | 162 mg | 81 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 24 kcal | 1.7 g | 0.2 g | 4.8 g | 0.8 g | 0.5 g | 25.5 mg | 0.2 mg | 81 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 48 kcal | 3.3 g | 0.3 g | 9.6 g | 1.5 g | 0.9 g | 51 mg | 0.3 mg | 162 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
