Seaweed is our Whole Food of the Month and one of my missions was to pull together a simple seaweed salad recipe for YU.
I love seaweed salad now—wait, hear that?—I think everyone who knew me from childhood just fell over in shock. See, I am the girl who ate her first salad at 19 and even then it was iceberg lettuce. Vegetables were not something I was interested in at all, and SEA VEGGIES? Forget it. Never. Well, you know what cliché I could use here, but I am happy and confident to report that obviously the palette does change (it can in a matter of weeks, actually) and foods that may seem impossible for you to add to the rotation will become something you crave in time when you switch to a clean, whole food, plant-based diet. So if sea veggies scare you, step out of your comfort zone and give this recipe a try. It tastes just like a toasted sesame noodle salad with very little, to no sea flavor and it takes 10 minutes max to prepare. I promise you’ll love it whether you are a newbie to sea veggies or if you are one of those long-time seaweed salad junkies.
Makes: 2-4 servings
Time: 10 minutes
Tools:
Medium glass bowl
Small glass bowl
Small pan
Spoon, whisk or blender
Towel (paper or cloth)
Strainer
Ingredients:
Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.
4-5 pieces whole or cut wakame
Warm pure water (enough to fill medium bowl)
1 scallion, sliced
1 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 carrot, shredded (optional)
1/2 granny smith apple, cored and shredded (optional)
Dressing
1 tbsp rice vinegar/Mirin
1 tbsp coconut aminos (gluten-free/soy-free) or nama shoyu
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sucanat
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp minced garlic
Pinch salt
Let’s get started.
Select your dry wakame pieces.
Soak them in warm water for about 8 minutes.
While wakame soaks, mix dressing ingredients by hand, or in the blender, and set aside.
Toast sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2-3 minutes and set aside. Wash and chop cilantro leaves. Set aside.
Drain and rinse wakame in cold water. It’s pretty amazing how large the leaves become when hydrated. I can’t help but think of summer at the beach.
Press/squeeze out excess water with hands and/or a strainer. Pat dry with a towel.
Roll leaves lengthwise and slice thinly—chiffonade-style.
You are creating long noodles. Just set them aside until all leaves are chopped.
Don’t forget to slice some green onion.
Place sliced wakame in a glass bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, cilantro and onion.
Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to one week. Enjoy!
. . .
Extras/Tips: Add some shredded carrots and/or shredded granny smith apples if you have some. If you are not someone who manages chopsticks, or long noodles in general very well, chop up your chiffonade strands into smaller bites so you can skip the twirling with your eating utensils.
. . .
Have you tried our other recipes that use sea veggies?
Almond Butter Kelp & Kale Noodles
Lemony Powerhouse Dulse Spread
Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna
Brendan Brazier’s Lemon Lime Workout Recovery Drink
Also, when cooking grains, legumes or seeds, put a piece of kombu in the cooking water. It will not only expedite the cooking process, but will improve the digestibility, without adding any sea flavor to your dish. I keep a pack of kombu in my pantry at all times.
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