Wakame Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Place the wakame in a large bowl and cover with the water, adding more if needed to keep wakame submerged. Soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Line a colander with a clean kitchen towel and have it standing by.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rice wine vinegar with the soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Whisk constantly while drizzling in the sesame oil to form an emulsion.
• When the wakame is hydrated, drain thoroughly through the prepared colander. Gather up the sides of the towel to form a pouch, then twist the towel to wring out additional water. Dry the large bowl and return the wakame to it. Top with the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until the seaweed is cold and the dressing has been absorbed, at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
• When ready to serve, peel and dice the avocado into small cubes measuring between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch. Toss in a small bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in the carrot and radishes, then fold this mixture gently into the wakame and serve.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the dashi, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and mirin. Heat to dissolve the honey and mix the dressing well. Remove from heat and chill. Seed the cucumber with a spoon. Then cut the cuke into paper-thin slices. Put the slices in a bowl of cold water to cover; add salt. Soak for 20 minutes. In another bowl, soak the wakame in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. It will swell and become a rich, glossy green. Drain the water, then plunge the seaweed briefly into boiling water. Rinse immediately with cold water to intensify the color. Trim away any rough stems, then coarsely chop the wakame. Drain the cucumber slices and pat dry. Combine the cucumber and wakame, toss and portion out among 2-4 small bowls. Drizzle the chilled dressing over each portion and serve.

Steps:

• If using an ordinary cucumber, halve it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; Japanese cucumbers do not need to be deseeded. Cut the cucumber into paper-thin slices. Place the slices in a bowl with water to cover, add the salt, and set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
• Soak the wakame in lukewarm water for 20 minutes; it will swell and become a rich glossy green. Drain and plunge briefly into boiling water, then rinse in cold water to give it a more intense color. Drain well and pat dry. With a sharp knife trim away the tough stem and chop the wakame coarsely. Drain the cucumber and pat dry.
• Combine the dresssing ingredients in a small saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar or honey; remove from the heat immediatel;y and chill. Combine the cucumber and wakame and pour the chilled dressing over it just before serving. Toss gently. Arrange neat mounds of the salad in individual bowls.