We are going Asian today! Japanese to be exact and Seaweed Salad is on the menu. For those of you who may think eating seaweed sounds gross, all I can say is don’t knock it until you try it. The seaweed is hydrated and then tossed with a dressing. Wakame is the most commonly used seaweed for this salad, but there are others that will also work well.
If you are a Sushi lover chances are you will also enjoy Seaweed Salad. Sushi has Nori wrapped around it, which is a dry sheet of seaweed. Nori is just one type of edible seaweed. I always order seaweed salad when getting sushi.
Seaweed contains many healthy nutrients that your body can breakdown easily. Edible seaweed is a nutrient dense vegetable of the sea that is harvested and used in many Asian dishes.
Benefits and Risks of Eating Seaweed
Seaweed has several health benefits, but it also has some side effects to be aware of.
BENEFITS
- Highly nutritious
- May help with thyroid function
- It may help with diabetes
- May support gut health
- It may help with weight loss
- May help protect the heart
RISKS
- Excess Iodine
- Heavy metals
According to Medical New today these are the benefits and risks of eating seaweed, however, it seems the benefits outweigh the risks. Like most things, simply eat it in moderation to avoid the risks.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bag of wakame seaweed
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- gluten free hot pepper paste or hot pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 scallion, chopped (optional)
- sesame seeds, (optional)
The first step in making seaweed salad is to rehydrate the wakame seaweed. You do this by immersing the seaweed in a bowl of water for less than 5 minutes.
While the seaweed is hydrating you can work on making the dressing. In a bowl add the oil, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Whisk the ingredients to combine and set aside.
At this point your seaweed should be hydrated. Drain the water and squeeze out any excess. Stir the dressing again to combine and add the seaweed.
When you serve the seaweed salad, it can be topped with sesame seeds, scallions or both. I put hot pepper paste on the side, if anyone wants to add it.
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