How to Make Healthy Asian Seaweed Salad

This healthy seaweed salad is much healthier than seaweed you find at a sushi restaurant and much cheaper too. Six simple ingredients make up this seaweed salad with optional garnishes from sesame seeds, ginger or avocado.

Every time I go to a sushi restaurant I order the seaweed salad, which is the perfect example of “clean eating” food! The seaweed is always very pricey though and then they give me these teeny tiny portions, so I never have enough to eat, which I find very frustrating.

I was determined to make an inexpensive seaweed salad that tastes delicious and I can eat a bigger serving without spending the money. Of course, it’s not exactly the same seaweed you get in the Japanese restaurants, but I actually liked it even better.

Where Can You Buy Seaweed?

If you’re lucky enough to live where they harvest and sell local seaweed, then by all means… get it local. However, dried seaweed is rather easy to find and works great in this seaweed salad recipe.

Dried seaweed only needs about 5 minutes in water before it’s ready to eat. You can typically find it at your local Asian markets, natural food stores or Whole Foods. However, sometimes I just add it to my amazon cart here.

How to Make the Healthiest Seaweed Salad?

#1: Use Wakame Seaweed

Wakame seaweed is a dark green, leafy green that is the most commonly used for this seaweed salad. You can also use mild-tasting arame and hijiki.

Just like there are different varieties of salad (romaine, arugula, etc.) there are also different varieties of seaweed.

Wakame is pleasantly tasty with a subtly sweet flavor. It can be used for salad or in soup (I’m pretty sure this is the seaweed they use in miso soup). Wakame, classified as a “brown algae”, is also incredibly nutritious.

#2: Soak the Seaweed for 5 Minutes

Seaweed salad is beyond easy to make. All you need to do is soak the seaweed in warm water for about 5 minutes.

Drain the water and rinse briefly (if you don’t rinse the seaweed it can be a bit too salty, but if you rinse it too long it can be a little slimy.)

#3: Make an Asian-inspired Vinaigrette Dressing

Then you dress your salad with a light Asian-inspired vinaigrette such as the one in the recipe below.

Is Seaweed Salad Good for you?

Yes, seaweed salad is good for you because seaweed is a Sea Vegetables which is a SUPER Foods!Actually all sea vegetables (seaweed) are extremely nutrient rich, especially in minerals. Asian cultures prize seaweed for its ability to promote good health, beauty and a long life.

Did you know wakame has 4 times the iron in beef? And, after hijiki, wakame is the seaweed highest in calcium. Wakame has 10 times the calcium in milk!

As a group, seaweed is known to have detoxifying benefits. Learn more from Dr. Axe as about how super seaweed really is. Eating seaweed has also been studied for possible anti-cancer effects. And, it must be a potent anti-inflammatory too as ancient Chinese texts report, “there is no swelling that is not relieved by seaweed.”

Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why so many spas offer seaweed wraps? I’m claustrophobic so the last thing I’m gonna do is let someone bind me up in seaweed in the hopes of shrinking the size of my butt. However, I’ll certainly have a big bowlful for lunch if that helps matters!

Seaweed Salad Recipe

This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients. In the recipe card below I give you some quick options for for the vinegar flavor and the sweetness. Then, top your seaweed salad with some delicious sesame seeds, avocado and/or ginger.

Enjoy.

How To Make Healthy Asian Seaweed Salad

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Seaweed salad is clean, delicious and can easily be made at home for a fraction of the cost. Made with garlic, ginger, rice wine and sesame.

• Author:Ivy Larson
• Prep Time:15
• Total Time:15
• Yield:21x

Scale1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 bag (2 ounces) Wakame dried and cut seaweed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 teaspoonrice wine or white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoonstoasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoonraw honey (swap for maple if vegan)

Optional for Garnish

• Pickled ginger
  
• Sesame seeds (black or white)
• Sliced avocado

Instructions

1. Soak seaweed in warm water to cover, 5 minutes. Drain, rinse briefly with cool water and drain again. Use a paper towel to blot excess water. Set seaweed aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil and honey. Drizzle vinaigrette on top of seaweed and toss to coat.

Optional: Garnish with fresh pickled ginger and sesame seeds.

Note: Asian Seaweed Salad will last for 2 days in a covered container in your fridge.

Love Asian Inspired Foods?

We have a few more recipes here at Clean Cuisine that I know you will really enjoy.

Easy Pad Thai with Cashew Cream

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

Simple Orange Chicken Recipe