Seaweed Salad is known as Kaisou Sarada (海藻サラダ) here in Japan, and it refers to any salad that includes seaweed in it (not a specific dish). It's a common way of using sea vegetables at home, and I love dressing it in a sweet and tangy sesame dressing that makes it very similar to the packaged ones sold in the US (minus the food coloring).
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Why My Recipe Works
- A mix of several types of seaweed, including wakame, konbu, agar and tsunomata provides a wide variety of natural colors and textures.
- Sliced cucumbers add a splash of green without using food coloring, and it also gives the salad a nice refreshing crunch.
- I like to accent the tangy, savory, sweet taste of the trademark seaweed salad dressing with nutty toasted sesame oil and a touch of ginger to add a warm burst of flavor.
- This Japanese seaweed salad is best when given a chance for the flavors to meld. It's a great make-ahead side dish that fits well into a weekly meal plan.
Seaweed Salad Nutrition
There are dozens of edible varieties of seaweed (a.k.a. sea vegetables), each one with a different shape, color, texture, and taste. Seaweed is incredibly rich in minerals such as iodine, calcium, and magnesium. It's an excellent source of vitamins, including Vitamin K and Vitamin B9, and provides healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The iodine content in seaweed supports thyroid function, while the fiber is great for your digestive health.
Combining seaweed with other ingredients like cucumbers and sesame seeds can further enrich the dish with antioxidants and phytonutrients such as flavonoids and omega-6 fatty acids.
Ingredients
- Seaweed - I recommend buying a blend of dried edible seaweed. The more varieties of seaweed your mix contains, the more colors and textures your salad will have. My blend contained a mixture of dried wakame, wakame stem, konbu, agar, red tsunomata, green tsunomata, and agar. If you can't find a mix of seaweed, you could also make it with just one type, such as wakame.
- Cucumber - I like adding cucumber because it adds a refreshing crunch and a beautiful splash of green. Salting removes the excess water while transforming its texture from crispy to crunchy, which works beautifully with the slick seaweed.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds - These impart a nutty, earthy flavor and add a fun poppy texture to each bite.
- Scallion - Finely chopped scallion adds a fresh onion flavor that contrasts the briny seaweed nicely. I used thin Japanese scallions, but if you can only find thicker green onions, you can split the stem into quarters lengthwise before chopping them or just use chives.
- Rice Vinegar - Rice vinegar has a smooth acidity and mild sweetness that brightens the salad without making it too sour. Apple cider vinegar will also work.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - The nutty signature flavor of seaweed salad comes from toasted sesame oil. If you want a lighter, more refreshing salad, try substituting olive oil or grapeseed oil.
- Soy Sauce - Soy sauce not only seasons the seaweed, but it also draws out its inherent umami. If you want to make this gluten-free, just substitute tamari or coconut aminos.
- Salt - I like to keep the amount of soy sauce to a minimum because its brown color muddles the vibrant hues of the seaweed. That's why I supplement the seasoning with a little salt.
- Sugar - Japanese cuisine balances salt and umami with sweetness to achieve harmony. I used evaporated cane sugar to achieve this, but honey, agave syrup, or regular granulated sugar will work fine.
- Grated Ginger - Grating some fresh ginger into the dressing adds a warm, spicy note that lifts the salad's flavor.
- Chili Flakes - To kick up the heat and add a pop of red to the salad, I add a pinch of chili flakes. These were cut into rings, but any chili flake will work.
How to Make Seaweed Salad
Dried seaweed sold for human consumption has been cooked before it has been dried, so all you need to do is rehydrate it. Put it in a large bowl and soak with a generous amount of cold water. In most cases, it'll take around 10 minutes, but check your package directions. This process allows the seaweed to absorb water and expand to its original state.
While the seaweed is rehydrating, thinly slice the cucumbers and toss them with a pinch of salt. Let these sweat for 10 minutes. The salt draws moisture out of the cucumbers through osmosis, which will help keep your salad from getting watery.
To prepare the salad dressing, just whisk the rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt, grated ginger, and chili flakes to taste together until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Once the seaweed is rehydrated, drain and squeeze it between your hands to remove as much excess water as possible. Doing this ensures that the seaweed will absorb the dressing more effectively without being diluted by excess water. Add the squeezed seaweed to the dressing.
Once the cucumbers start to sweat, massage them until they're limp and translucent. They should release a ton of water, and the texture changes from crispy to crunchy. Gather the cucumbers with your hands and squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible, then add them to the bowl with the seaweed.
Then all you have to do is toss the seaweed, cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped scallions together with the dressing until it's evenly combined.
Variations
Wakame seaweed salad is a variation made with wakame seaweed. It's often dressed with Ponzu but can also be combined with cucumbers to make Sunomono. To make a spicy seaweed salad, try adding some Chili Oil or your favorite Asian chili paste such as sriracha, sambal oelek, or gochujang. For something totally different, yet equally delicious, head over to my Secret Stash of original recipes for a Watermelon Radish & Wakame Salad.
Serve it With
There are obvious choices like California Rolls, Tempura Shrimp Rolls, or Spicy Tuna Rolls, but the salad's light and tangy flavors also contrast richer dishes like Mushroom Tempura, Miso Salmon, Salmon Sashimi Donburi, or Teriyaki Steak. Whatever you choose, don't forget to make a bowl of miso soup to round out your meal!
Other Japanese Salad Recipes
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
Seaweed Salad
- 12 grams dry mixed seaweed
- 100 grams cucumber
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 15 grams scallion (finely chopped)
Seaweed Salad Dressing
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
- ¼ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- chili flakes (to taste)
Instructions
- Rehydrate 12 grams dry mixed seaweed in water according to the package directions. Mine took 10 minutes.
- Thinly slice 100 grams cucumber and toss them with a pinch of salt to coat each slice. Let this sweat for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon evaporated cane sugar, ¼ teaspoon grated ginger, ¼ teaspoon salt, and chili flakes until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- When the seaweed is rehydrated, drain and squeeze it between your hands to remove as much excess water as possible. Add the squeezed seaweed to the dressing.
- Massage the cucumbers until they release a lot of water, and the slices go from opaque to translucent. Gather the cucumbers with your hands and squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible. Add them to the bowl with the seaweed.
- Add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds and 15 grams scallion and stir the seaweed salad together to coat everything with the dressing.
Nutrition Facts
FAQ
Yes, this seaweed salad is both vegan and vegetarian friendly. Store bought seaweed salads may contain non-vegan sugar, so make sure you check the label.
Seaweed salad usually contains soy sauce in the dressing which means it is not gluten-free. However, you can simply substitute tamari or coconut aminos in for the soy sauce to this seaweed salad recipe gluten-free.
Sorry to break it to you, but if you've been eating seaweed salad because you thought it was healthy, I have news for you. That neon green color that many seaweed salads have is not the natural color of seaweed; it's food coloring. Places that serve this kind of salad also usually buy it in tubs pre-seasoned, which also means it's probably loaded with corn syrup and MSG. The good news is that by making my wakame salad recipe at home, you can get all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and prebiotics naturally contained in seaweed without all of the extra stuff that gets added in commercial products.
Japanese grocery stores should carry bags of seaweed salad mix, specifically for making a salad. If you don't have a Japanese grocery store nearby, try searching the web or online retailers such as Amazon.
The salt and acidity in the dressing will help preserve this salad longer than most however it should still be consumed within 2-3 days and be stored in the fridge.
SEAWEED SALAD says
"Your instructions are a game-changer! I used to struggle with mushy or undercooked rice, but your tips helped me achieve that perfect texture.https://norecipes.com I feel like a culinary genius – thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm happy to hear they've been helpful!
Ron Feintech says
How does one get the bright green of seaweed salad from restaurants? Wakame comes out very dark green.
Marc says
Hi Ron, most restaurants buy their seaweed salad premade and it includes green food coloring. This is how they're able to get the color so bright.
sophia yi says
Theres nothing wrong with it being "Loaded with sugar and msg"
Kathy Stroup says
I personally can't tolerate much sugar in my diet, and I would rather add natural sources of MSG for better flavor. So I disagree with your comment. If you prefer to eat those things, go for it. I will make Marc's recipe and enjoy the natural goodness of the ingredients.
Carol Cuevas says
Sounds perfect.
Can I use demerara or turbanado sugar in place of evaporated sugar? I live in a rural area and cannot find evaporated sugar.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Carol, turbanado is closest in taste, but it tends to come in large crystals, so you might have a hard time getting it to dissolve. Dermerara is going to taste too strongly of molasses. You can also just use regular white granulated sugar.
Ekaterina says
Can I use Korean salted seaweed stem for that recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ekaterina, it won't have much variety in taste or texture if you use just 1 type of seaweed, but as long as you desalt it first, it will work.
LynGH says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have looked for it thinking the ‘real’ thing was that green stuff in the restaurant and grocery store.
Your recipe and instructions are perfect.
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome!
Marie Wise-Miu says
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I use thin strips of wakame, but it's all very dark. I'd love to mix up the varieties, but in the only Asian store for 50km sells exclusively this and kelp. Do you know of the mixed dry seaweed you mentioned, maybe on Amazon? I live in France now, but I can order things to be shipped here. Thanks for your help.
Marie
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Marie! Amazon in the US carries it, but I'm not sure about in France. Only one way to find out 😉
Phyllis says
So grateful for this recipe ... I've been hunting for this dressing for some time as it is commonly used in Japanese restaurants and making my own seaweed salad at home has always been a goal since I enjoy it at restaurants, but the last recipe I tried was a fail. This one is perfect. Domo arigatou!
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Phyllis, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this!
cat dillon says
Thank you!! Loved this simple video! I LOVE JAPANESE FOOD especially sushi and Izakaya 😉
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Cat, hope you give this a try!
Marjorie Printz says
Does seaweed salad help with arthritus?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Marjorie, I am not a health expert so I'm not really qualified to answer that. What I can say is that most seaweed is a good source of minerals, including Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium.
David says
This is a keeper. I used the Emerald Cove Wakame, which is ready to use. Soaked, rinsed, drained and marinated it. Yum! Thank you so much. I can get about 2 salads out of 1 bag. It’s available on Amazon for $4
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi David, I'm glad to hear it! Thanks for suggesting a brand that's available in the US.
Ildiko says
I using wakame for the seaweed salads. my problem is soaking more than 10 min.
the wakame is still very hard.
Shall I cook in the micro w. to soften it?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ildiko, are you using dried wake or salted? and if it's dried, does it come in small pieces or long strands? If it's the later it's possible the wakame still has the stems attached in which case you need to trim them off. The stems can still be eaten, but they need to be thinly sliced. The frilly leaf parts of the wakame should rehydrate in a matter of minutes. You could try blanching it quickly, but wakame turns mushy very quickly when cooked (that's why it's added to miso soup at the very end) so I don't recommend cooking it. The last possibility is that whatever you have was mislabeled and is actually some other type of seaweed such as konbu. I hope that helps.
Ildiko says
Hello, I did buy it in an Asian market. It was a long wet strand, very hard.
I will try to soften in the micro with a couple of mins. I was eaten in restaurant, it looked like mine long dark stems, but much soft tham my.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ildiko, if it wasn't a Japanese market it could very well be mislabeled, as what you're describing does not sound like wakame. Wakame is usually either dried (https://anshin.pref.tokushima.jp/docs/2015081100493/files/IMG_3358.JPG) or salted (https://ws-plan.com/img5/siokurawakame1.jpg). In either case you should be able to just wash and rehydrate/desalt it by soaking it in water for a few minutes. Here's what it should look like when rehydrated: https://image.rakuten.co.jp/fukahirehonpo/cabinet/harada2/cbrk51.jpg It should be a dark green color, frilly and about the thickness of a sheet of paper. One possibility is you got kukiwakame (https://img15.shop-pro.jp/PA01242/827/product/134697503.png) which is the thick stem part of the wakame and needs to be sliced into very thin strips to be edible as it is very tough. Another possibility is that you have konbu (https://img21.shop-pro.jp/PA01326/758/product/92056220.jpg), which is kelp. Konbu I is not usually eaten raw, and would also need to be cut very thin to be edible.
Ichi Tokyo says
Thank you! It means a lot to me.