Recipes & Cooking International Recipes Asian Recipes Japanese Recipes Kani Salad 5.0 (1) 1 Review Imitation crab and pickled veggies have never tasted so good. Finish this kani salad recipe with a spicy sauce and crunchy tempura bits. By CJ Younger CJ Younger CJ Younger is an editorial assistant at Better Homes & Gardens. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process and BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on May 26, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Rachel Marek. Food Styling: Annie Probst Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 3 cups Jump to Nutrition Facts Imitation crab, kewpie mayo, and DIY pickled vegetables combine forces in this delicious kani salad recipe. Serve this refreshing salad with lettuce cups, Belgium endive, bias-cut English cucumber planks, and nori squares for a tasty take on the classic sushi starter. If you're wondering what exactly imitation crab is, here's your crash course. Imitation crab is not made with crab—instead of crab, it uses a fish paste made from minced and washed white fish like pollock. Mirin is another ingredient you'll need to make the kani salad dressing at home. To put it simply, it's a Japanese rice wine that's often responsible for that hard-to-describe umami flavor in many Japanese dishes. It's tangy yet sweet, but also richly flavored. It has more sugar and a lower alcohol content than its better-known relative, sake. It's hard to find in its pure form at your average grocery store, but several brands have 'aji-mirin,' which means 'tastes like mirin.' It has more added sweeteners than traditional mirin, but it works well in this homemade kani salad recipe! Our Test Kitchen loves the crunch of topping this salad with homemade pickled veggies. This recipe is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at pickling your own vegetables. All you need is rice vinegar, mirin, reduced-sodium soy sauce, sugar, and kosher salt. What may seem like an intimidating process is actually incredibly simple—drop your vegetables into the mixture and leave it in the fridge for an hour. When you pull it out, voila! Your vegetables have been pickled. They really add the extra light vinegar kick and satisfying crunch to this kani salad. Ingredients Kani Salad ¼ cup kewpie mayo 1½ Tbsp. mirin 2 to 3 tsp. sriracha 8 ounces imitation crab meat, leg style 2 Tbsp. tobiko (optional) 1/2 cup pickled veggies 2 Tbsp. tempura (optional) Pickled Vegetables ¾ cup rice vinegar 3 Tbsp. mirin 1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. kosher salt ⅓ cup carrot, shredded or cut into thin strips ⅓ cup daikon radish, cut into thin strips ½ cup English cucumber, cut into thin strips Directions Kani Salad Rachel Marek In a medium bowl whisk together the kewpie mayo, mirin, and sriracha. Stir until the ingredients are completely combined. Rachel Marek Using two forks, pull apart the imitation crab and add to bowl. Toss the crab with dressing to coat. Test Kitchen Tip: You want to end up with thin strands of imitation crab. This helps the dressing coat each bite. To serve, top the creamy imitation crab salad with the drained pickled vegetables, tobiko, and tempura bits (if using) Pickled Vegetables Rachel Marek In a medium bowl combine the rice vinegar, mirin, reduced-sodium soy sauce, sugar, and kosher salt. Mix until well combined. Rachel Marek Toss in thinly sliced carrots, daikon radish, and English cucumber. Rachel Marek Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 86 Calories 2g Fat 12g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 86.4 % Daily Value * Total Fat 2g 3% Saturated Fat 0.3g 2% Cholesterol 8.7mg 3% Sodium 501.4mg 22% Total Carbohydrate 12.3g 4% Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2% Total Sugars 8.1g Protein 2.8g 6% Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Vitamin C 2.5mg 3% Calcium 11.9mg 1% Iron 0.3mg 1% Potassium 91.8mg 2% Fatty acids, total trans 0g Vitamin D 0.1IU Alanine 0.2g Arginine 0.2g Ash 1.7g Aspartic acid 0.3g Caffeine 0mg Carotene, alpha 249.6mcg Choline, total 7.7mg Copper, Cu 0mg Cystine 0g Energy 361.2kJ Fluoride, F 3.2mcg Folate, total 4.8mcg Glutamic acid 0.5g Glycine 0.1g Histidine 0.1g Isoleucine 0.1g Leucine 0.2g Lysine 0.2g Methionine 0.1g Magnesium, Mg 17.2mg Manganese, Mn 0.1mg Niacin 0.3mg Phosphorus, P 94.7mg Pantothenic acid 0.1mg Phenylalanine 0.1g Phytosterols 1.2mg Proline 0.1g Retinol 1.1mcg Selenium, Se 7.3mcg Serine 0.2g Starch 1.3g Theobromine 0mg Threonine 0.1g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.4mg Tryptophan 0g Tyrosine 0.1g Valine 0.1g Vitamin A, IU 1204.5IU Vitamin A, RAE 61.2mcg Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg Vitamin B-6 0.1mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 6.9mcg Water 74.4g Zinc, Zn 0.2mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.