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+ servings

Sesame Seaweed Salad

Laura Ambrouse
Japanese seaweed salad with cucumber, scallions, and sesame in a ceramic bowl
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Tender wakame, crisp cucumber, scallions, and toasted sesame meet a lively rice-vinegar dressing in this cool, savory side dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Soaking Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 side servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese-Inspired

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz dried cut wakame about 28 g
  • 1 medium Persian or English cucumber very thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar 30 ml
  • 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari 15 ml
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 10 ml
  • 1 tsp honey or maple syrup 5 ml
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger finely grated
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds plus more for serving

Equipment

  • Medium bowl
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Whisk

Instructions
 

  1. Put the dried wakame in a bowl and cover generously with cool water. Soak for 8 to 10 minutes, just until fully expanded and tender.
  2. Drain the wakame in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse once with cool water, squeeze gently but thoroughly, and pat dry. Trim any long pieces into bite-size ribbons.
  3. Whisk the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and ginger in a serving bowl until the sweetener dissolves.
  4. Add the wakame, cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds. Toss well and let the salad stand for 5 minutes so the dressing settles into the seaweed.
  5. Taste and adjust with a small splash of vinegar or soy sauce. Serve cool, with extra sesame seeds if you like.

Notes

  • Do not soak wakame in hot water; it softens too quickly and can become slippery.
  • Seaweed varies widely in iodine and sodium. Keep the serving modest and check the package if you follow a medically prescribed iodine or sodium limit.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 2 days for the best texture.
  • Nutrition is intentionally left for manual calculation because wakame and soy-sauce brands vary substantially.

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