If you’re looking for a light and refreshing lunch try this Kani salad recipe.
The Deets
I recently gave making Kani salad at home a try, and wow, it did not disappoint! It came together quickly and was so easy to make. Honestly, it’s a perfect meal prep idea—great to have on hand for lunches or just to snack on throughout the week. It also works as a side dish if you’re looking to mix things up at dinner.
If you’re not familiar, Kani salad is inspired by Japanese flavors and features shredded imitation crab (called “kani”). It’s usually tossed with thinly sliced veggies. For my version, I kept it simple with cucumber, and the combination of the creamy dressing (Japanese mayo, lemon, and wasabi) with the crisp veggies was so good. It’s one of those dishes that feels light and refreshing but still hits all the right savory and slightly sweet notes.
I love how versatile Kani salad is—you can make it as a quick snack, serve it as a starter, or even pair it with other dishes for a complete meal. Plus, it’s ridiculously easy to throw together, so it’s a win no matter what.
If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out—I’d love to hear your thoughts! And if you’re looking for more ideas, I’ve got some other salad recipes here for you to check out.
Here’s how to make it:
Kani Salad
Ingredients
- 3 Kirby cucumbers (Persian or another small cucumber would also work)
- 6 Imitation crab sticks
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayo (I don't love mayo so I was a little light on it, you might want to add more)
- The juice from 1/2 a lemon (add more to taste)
- Squeeze of wasabi or kikkomanusa wasabi sauce (amount is entirely to your spice level)
- Pokekake (or you could use furikake) it’s essentially just chopped seaweed, sesame seeds and salt
Instructions
- Peel and thinly slice your cucumbers. Then cut them into matchsticks and add to a bowl.
- Using a fork, or your hands, break apart the crab sticks so they become stringy. Add to the same bowl.
- Add the wasabi, mayo, lemon juice and pokekake and mix together. Give it a taste and adjust accordingly. Depending on spice levels and mayo preferences, you might want to adjust. Thats it! Enjoy!
