Monika’s Wakame Salad – How to make Seaweed Salad at home

August 8, 2010 by Monika
Filed under Digestive Health, Recipe, whole foods

If you love Sushi as much as I do and Millions of North Americans as well as Millions around the world, then you must know the bright green colored wakame salad.

My family always ends up fighting over the little wakame salad box because it’s so darn tasty! You probably wondered why you can’t find wakame seaweed in the Asian grocery stores to make your own seaweed salad at home.

What is Wakame?

Sea farmer in Japan and Korea have grown this healthy treat for hundred of years. Wakame is a sea vegetable which is mostly used in soups and salads.

New studies conducted at Hokkaido University have found that a compound in wakame known as fucoxanthin can help burn fatty tissue. Studies in mice have shown that fucoxanthin induces expression of the fat-burning protein (UCP1) that accumulates in fat tissue around the internal organs. Wakame is also used in topical beauty treatments. In Oriental medicine it has been used for blood purification, intestinal strength, skin, hair, reproductive organs and menstrual regularity. (Ref. Wiki)

Not only does it taste fantastic and has a fun-chewy texture, but a typical 1-2 tablespoon serving of Wakame is roughly 3.75-7.5 kcals and provides 15-30 mgs of Omega-3′s. Wakame also has high levels of calcium, iodine, thiamine and niacin. (Ref. Wiki)

It’s a bit tricky to find things at the Asian markets and grocery stores, everything is written in Japanese or Chinese. There is no sign on the wakame seaweed stating “This is the thing you need to make your own seaweed salad you like out of the sushi case”! And, they don’t tell you, that they mix the wakame with some Agar Agar. The chewy more translucent strand in your wakame salad are agar agar strands. Agar-Agar is a natural vegetable gelatin counterpart. White and semi-translucent, it is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. Agar Agar is made up of 80% fiber so it makes a wonderful intestinal cleanser and regulator. Most Asian gelatin desserts are made with Agar Agar.

Now that you know that seaweed comes in a dehydrated form, you’re ready to find the right kind of product.

You’ll go “Wakame” for this seaweed salad recipe!

What you’ll need:

1/2 of the 2oz pack of Wakame (dehydrated sold in bags in the nori section)
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tbsp and 1 tsp of vegetable oil
1/4 cup less 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Toasted Sesame
little Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp or to taste Sea Salt
Agar Agar (optional)

Prepare your salad:

soak your Wakame in some warm water (please use drinking water, not tap)
keep the wakame submerged in water for about 5 -6 minutes, the seaweed will expand enormously
meanwhile, prepare your dressing
mix the rice vinegar, oils, salt, sugar, sesame seeds (red pepper flakes optional) and set aside
drain the wakame and press the water out.
take the drained wakame and cut into strips with a very sharp knife.
mix with the prepared dressing and let it cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
adjust your dressing to taste, more sugar or more sesame seeds or oil…

Wakame Salad is perfectly fine on its own or with lunch or dinner and sushi of course. It keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days and freezes well too.

Stay Healthy and Enjoy!

Monika Baechler

P.S. Let me know how your wakame salad turned out and what you pared it with, thanks.