Name: Wakame seaweed salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 20 gm dried wakame (see note); 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds; 1-2 tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes, to taste; 1 tsp sugar

Wakame seaweed salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller and Tony Tan Chinese entree recipe for wakame seaweed salad

Serves 4

Prep

25M

Cook

30M

Total

55M

This is the Chinese version of the popular Japanese wakame salad (bottom). Enjoyed as an appetiser particularly by the coastal Chinese, wakame is extremely nutritious and is perfect with vinegary dressings. Because store-bought wakame salad is made with fresh wakame, dried wakame produces a khaki-coloured salad. While it is not conventional, I sometimes serve this salad with spinach and green onions.

Ingredients

20 gm dried wakame (see note)

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tsp roasted sesame seeds

1-2 tsp chilli powder or chilli flakes, to taste

1 tsp sugar

Method

Main

1.Soak dried wakame in tepid water for 10-20 minutes to reconstitute. Drain and trim tough central spine, if any, of the wakame, blanch in hot water to soften and refresh in cold water to improve colour. Wrap wakame in absorbent paper to extract moisture, then coarsely chop.

2.Combine wakame in a bowl and mix in vinegar, soy, chilli, sesame seeds and sugar and serve immediately.

Note Dried wakame is available from Asian grocery stores and select health food shops. This salad goes particularly well with chilled tossed noodles.
Notes