Healthy and refreshing seaweed salad recipe. Served with cherry tomato over green leaf lettuce and drizzled with miso dressing, this vibrant salad is a delicious change to the usual salads at your dinner table.
Surrounded by the ocean, we eat all kinds of seaweeds in Japan. These sea vegetables are used extensively in Japanese cuisine for their health properties and deep unique flavors. The diversity of seaweed is just as vast as the ocean. Some of the more familiar varieties include nori, which is used for sushi and onigiri rice balls, kombu for dashi broth, and wakame for miso soup and salad.
Little did I know seaweed is considered a “strange food” until I came to the US, so I was surprised to receive many requests for a Seaweed Salad recipe from readers around the globe (You may want to read this post about the health benefits of seaweed on my site).
It was wonderful to know that there are more people who enjoy eating seaweed than I had thought. When you asked me for a “Seaweed Salad“, it’s possible you were looking for the type of seaweed salad below, which is commonly served at Japanese sushi restaurants in the U.S.
The salad is a little bit spicy but overall quite sweet and crunchy. However, this particular seaweed salad does NOT actually exist in Japan. Since it’s been a while since I live in the US, I asked my friends in Japan to confirm.
Out of curiosity, I looked up what the salad is made of. Besides a mixture of seaweed, seaweed stem (Kuki wakame), and seaweed sprout (Mekabu), there were some ingredients that I had not expected. They include artificially dyed agar (a type of seaweed-based gelatin), MSG, and high fructose corn syrup. I asked the workers at sushi restaurants how they make the salad from scratch, and to my surprise, they all said they actually purchase the seaweed salad pre-made.
Needless to say, I didn’t make the copycat version. But instead, I wanted to share the traditional style of seaweed salad that we eat in Japan. It’s a lot healthier and even more delicious than the seaweed salad from restaurants.
For this recipe, I used dried seaweed salad mix purchased at my local Japanese grocery store. A well-stocked Asian grocery store should carry them as well. The seaweed mixture is very easy to use, you just need to soak them in cold water for a few minutes to soften and then drain well before tossing with dressing. There are many kinds of dressing that would go well with the salad such as this homemade Sesame Dressing. Today I made our favorite Miso Dressing which is packed with umami!
In case you can’t find the dried seaweed salad mix, you can use a more widely available wakame seaweed (the kind you see in miso soup) as a substitution. Soak wakame until tender and drain completely, toss it with thinly shredded cucumber and some cherry tomatoes, and you will have a vibrant, refreshing seaweed salad to enjoy.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Seaweed Salad
Ingredients
- ½ oz dried seaweed salad mix (about 1 handful)
For the Miso Dressing
- 1 Tbsp miso (I use koji miso or awase miso; you can use your favorite type)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 1 tsp roasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Soak ½ oz dried seaweed salad mix in cold water for 5–8 minutes. Drain the seaweed and squeeze out the excess water. Serve the seaweed in individual bowls or large serving bowl. Chill the salad before serving.
- For the dressing, use a mortar and pestle (Japanese suribachi and surikogi) to grind 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. This will add a nice aroma and texture to the dressing.
- In a small bowl, combine the Miso Dressing ingredients: 1 Tbsp miso, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 1 tsp roasted sesame oil, 1 tsp mirin, and the ground sesame seeds. Whisk together.
- Put the dressing in a small bowl or dressing bottle. Mix or shake the dressing before pouring to the salad. Sprinkle additional sesame seeds for garnish, if you‘d like.
This recipe was SOOO yummy! I used wakame. I did want to try the other kind of mixed seaweed you showed, but could find any. I know you may have too many comments to respond to each individually, but I thought I’d give it a try anyway. I am finding it almost impossible to find seaweed salad mix, either in person or online. In fact, the kind you have pictured here can only be bought on Amazon, for $9.99 per package, plus $10 shipping, plus possibly extra import fees, shipped from Singapore. Do you have any idea wny this might be and do you happen to know another source for the mixed seaweed? Thank you!
Hi Katalin! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are sorry to hear that you are having a hard time finding the Seaweed mixed.
Have you tried other online stores or Asian stores near you? Here are the posts that we introduced many other store names. We hope this helps!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-grocery-stores-around-the-world/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/online-shops-for-asian-ingredients-goods/
This was delicious! Thank you 🙂 I have not been able to find seaweed salad, but I ordered some Wakame on Amazon and added cucumber. It was great, and every bit as enjoyable (even more) than the store-bought kind.
Hi Katalin! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed Miso Dressing!🙂
As always your recipes work beautifully well. Thank you for taking the time to educate us with your detailed explainations concerning ingredients, methods and Japanese culture.
Hi Maggie! Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
Your kind words are so much meant to Nami and JOC team. Thank you!❤️
Hello, I have a question I have dried seaweed mix salad but after I put it in the water it is kind of slimmy, how can I get rid of the slimness? Will it help if I put vinegar in the water?
Thank you
Hi Marie-Christine, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! The dried seaweed will get slimy if you leave them in the water too long. You may add salt to the slimy seaweed and massage them and rinse with clean water. We hope this helps!
Aloha Nami,
I have a favorite miso dressing that I’ve been buying at the store, but they are no longer going to be carrying it. It is more creamy than the recipe you’ve shared with us. Would adding mayonnaise give it that creamy texture or would it change the flavor?
Hi Annie,
You may add mayonnaise, yogurt, or milk to make it creamy but make sure to add a touch of sweetness to balance the flavor.
We hope you can experiment with it and find your favorite miso dressing taste at home!
Thank you so much! I wanted to make seaweed salad but don’t know what ingredients I’m looking for. Seeing your post, I don’t think I’ll be buying restaurant style seaweed salad again. Wakame will be my way! Thank you!! 🙏🙏💕💕
Hi Judy!
We are so glad to hear you like this Seaweed Salad! Thank you for writing to us!☺️
Hi Nami – thank you for your detailed recipes that I can trust! I just want to confirm that if I use regular dried wakame instead of a seaweed salad kit, that this can be prepared and eaten raw without scalding. I’m guessing the thing I have to beware of if I don’t use a kit is choosing the wakame more carefully so I don’t use pieces that are tough to chew?
Hi Fen! The salad kit seaweed or wakame are both easier to eat and there is no seaweed that is hard to chew (for typical adults). The only thing I’d worry is to feed small children in case they are too big. You can always cut it into smaller pieces. 🙂
Nami, can I make this in advance for meal prep? Does the dressing keep in the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Ali! Yes you can do that. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!