Seaweed Salad with Ginger-Ponzu Dressing

Here’s another entry for my Great Kitchen Clear Out series!

This time featuring an ingredient that I genuinely think deserves more love and recognition: wakame. It’s affordable, nutritious, easy to prepare, and such a great pantry staple to keep around. It’s planet-friendly too, so it’s good for both you and the environment.

If you haven’t worked with it before, wakame is a type of seaweed that rehydrates in less than a minute (honestly, it’s quite magical watching it plump up). And if you’re using a salted version like mine, just remember to give it an extra rinse before using.

I love pairing wakame with crunchy ingredients like cucumber, nuts, and seeds for contrast in texture. For the dressing, I usually lean towards something creamy and nutty. This version combines Kewpie mayo, ponzu, lime, and tahini – rich and tangy just how I like it!

And note from a nutritionist: beyond flavour and texture, wakame also contains micronutrients like iodine, folate, magnesium, and calcium plus small amounts of omega-3 fats. It’s a really easy way to add more variety and extra nutrients into your meals without much effort (or many calories).

I always keep a few different types of seaweed stocked in my kitchen, and this is one of my favourite ways to use them. I hope you give it a try too for a refreshing and nutritious quick meal!

And if you’re more of a visual learner (I know I am), you can also watch the steps here and check out the rest of my Great Kitchen Clear Out series!

THE RECIPE

SERVES 2

Ingredients

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed

• 3 tbsp dried wakame

• A handful of fresh mint

• A handful of dill

• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)

• 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

• 10 roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Dressing:

• 1 tbsp Kewpie mayo

• 1 tbsp ponzu (I really like this one from Itabashi)

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar or lime juice

• 1 tsp tahini

• ½ tsp grated ginger

Directions

1. Slice the cucumbers into half-moons, then set aside.

2. Place the wakame in a bowl of water to rehydrate (about 1 minute), then drain, rinse, and squeeze out excess water.

3. Roughly chop mint and dill.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together Kewpie mayo, ponzu, rice vinegar (or lime juice), tahini, and grated ginger until smooth.

5. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, wakame, and herbs. Pour over dressing and toss well.

6. Sprinkle over ground flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and roughly chopped roasted almonds.

7. Give it a final toss and serve immediately, or chill slightly before serving.

Notes

• To make it a complete dish, mix in some flaked canned tuna and a hard boiled egg.

Nutrition

Coming soon!

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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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