How to Make a Wakame Seaweed Salad
Whether you have them as a main dish or a side, where would we be without salad? There is a reason it is a staple dish in many of our diets. It is healthy, relatively easy to make and can be of almost any variety. Despite such variety, we often find ourselves looking making the same old salad every day. All culinary cultures have some sort of salad dishes. Today we look to Japan for some inspiration, specifically with the ingredient wakame. This is a type of seaweed which can be used for various dishes. It has a slight taste of the sea, but it is an umami richness, not an overpowering flavor.
At oneHOWTO, we show you how to make a wakame seaweed salad. We show you what ingredients and preparation you need, as well as some tips for your new favorite salad recipe.
Ingredients:
Steps to follow:
The first step in making this wakame seaweed salad recipe is to hydrate the seaweed. To do this, place them in a large bowl with water. You will notice they immediately increase a lot in size when hydrated.
If you use cold water to hydrate the wakame seaweed, leave it submerged for about 20 minutes. In the case of using warm water, 10 minutes will be enough. As it can change according to the type or brand, read the instructions on the packaging and follow the indicated times.
When the wakame seaweed is hydrated, rinse it under running water and drain it before cutting it into smaller pieces when it is nice and clean.
Learn more about the flavor profile of seaweed with our article on what is umami flavoring?
With the seaweed ready, it is time to make the Japanese wakame seaweed salad dressing. First, cut the chili into thin slices and remove the seeds and membrane. If you prefer this ingredient not to be too spicy, you choose to sauté it in a pan for a little while. If you want it really spicy, leave in the seeds.
After preparing the chili, take a bowl and add the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. With the help of a fork, mix it so that all the ingredients are well integrated and the sugar dissolves.
Add the chili and the tablespoon of sesame seeds, although reserve a little for decoration. Mix both ingredients with the rest to finish preparing the salad dressing.
In a salad bowl, place the wakame seaweed that you had prepared in the first steps of the recipe. Add the dressing so that they are well mixed.
Sprinkle the seeds you reserved or simply more sesame seeds so they are spread over the salad and the preparation is ready. Letting the wakame seaweed salad rest in the fridge for a while is a great way to eat it as it tastes really fresh. Just lave it for about five minutes before eating and it will be the best temperature to enjoy all the flavors.
Enjoy this rich Japanese wakame seaweed salad on its own or as a side dish to practically any meal. It is a great option if you are making sushi and want to have some non-rice dishes to round out the meal. It is also a great addition to many European dishes, as long as the flavors match up. Essentially, there are no rules, just guidelines. Take your time, eat fresh and enjoy.
If you want some more ideas to freshen up your salad repertoire, take a look at our articles on how to make a lentil salad with avocado and how to make a potato salad with mustard.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Make a Wakame Seaweed Salad, we recommend you visit our Recipes category.
Tips
- You can sauté the chilli slices with toasted sesame seeds and a little oil. You can also do it with raw sesame seeds for a couple of minutes, but without adding oil if you want to reduce the fat content.
- Keeping the wakame seaweed salad in the fridge for 30 minutes is more than enough time for it to rest and become fresh before serving.
- To enrich this salad even more, opt to add cucumber slices or chunks. It is a very common ingredient in salads and it goes perfectly with wakame seaweed.
- A wakame seaweed salad can be part of a light menu, a stand-alone dinner or a refreshing side dish on an Asian home menu.
- It is a salad that allows for more ingredients such as agar algae, smoked meats, fresh fish (e.g. salmon) or trout roe.
- Before serving the salad on different plates, stir the wakame seaweed well with the dressing. Taste the final result and, if you consider it necessary, add a little more soy sauce. You will not need salt in these recipe as the salt flavor of the soy sauce provides enough. In this way, you will prevent the flavor from being too strong or intense.
