Angela DealeWakame (seaweed) salad
Delicious and nutritious seaweed has been a staple of East Asian cuisine (especially the Japanese) for centuries. World's Healthiest Foods states, "Seaweed is purported to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, fight obesity, promote healthy digestion, and tackle free radicals...Seaweed also contains nutrients that are vital to eye health and maintaining good vision, including vitamin A and vitamin C."
I am a fan of seaweed, so I've previously used it in flake form, to use as a condiment for dishes; nori sheets, for rolling sushi; and in individually-wrapped portions, often seasoned for a yummy snack. But I'd never bought dried wakame 'leaves' and it never occurred to me to make seaweed salad, though I eat them all the time in restaurants.
Happily, I inherited a bag of wakame from a cousin who was leaving town, so after using a bit of it to toss into a bowl of instant noodles (the nutritional benefits of seaweed make up for the horrible badness of instant ramen, right? right??), I made seaweed salad the next day.
Tossed with a flavourful, sweet dressing, the salad was enjoyed by all (except my husband, who wouldn't even try it!). My son liked it though, and no wonder--he also likes an Asian-style pasta salad that I make with virtually the same dressing.
Ingredients (4-6 side dish servings)
Dressing ingredients:
* I usually keep a piece of peeled ginger root in the freezer. To grate it, I use my Microplane.
Directions
I am a fan of seaweed, so I've previously used it in flake form, to use as a condiment for dishes; nori sheets, for rolling sushi; and in individually-wrapped portions, often seasoned for a yummy snack. But I'd never bought dried wakame 'leaves' and it never occurred to me to make seaweed salad, though I eat them all the time in restaurants.
Happily, I inherited a bag of wakame from a cousin who was leaving town, so after using a bit of it to toss into a bowl of instant noodles (the nutritional benefits of seaweed make up for the horrible badness of instant ramen, right? right??), I made seaweed salad the next day.
Wakame salad on a communal plate (minus one serving for one person who doesn't eat onions)
Tossed with a flavourful, sweet dressing, the salad was enjoyed by all (except my husband, who wouldn't even try it!). My son liked it though, and no wonder--he also likes an Asian-style pasta salad that I make with virtually the same dressing.
Ingredients (4-6 side dish servings)
- 1 ounce dried wakame (broken into smaller pieces, as they expand in hot water)
- 2 small (boiler) onions, sliced
- 1 scallion, chopped
- half a large carrot, grated
- 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped finely
Dressing ingredients:
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- ginger, grated (to taste)*
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
- pinch of garlic ginger sauce
* I usually keep a piece of peeled ginger root in the freezer. To grate it, I use my Microplane.
Directions
- Soak the wakame in a large bowl of very hot water (make sure the wakame is completely covered). About 15-20 minutes later, the wakame should be rehydrated. The texture will be squishy and slippery.
- While the wakame is soaking, toast the sesame seeds on a dry pan over low heat until light brown. Remove the seeds and set aside.
- Rinse the wakame well, and then squeeze out excess water. Chop wakame into bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool.
- Lightly caramelise the onion slices. It's just starting to caramelise when the colour is light brown or tan, with a few bits that may be darker brown. remove onions and set aside.
- When the onions are cool, put them, the wakame, the scallion, carrot, and cilantro in the refrigerator to chill.
- When ready to serve, whisk together the dressing ingredients, and then toss the salad with the dressing. Sprinkle the seeds on top.
