Kombu Seaweed Salad

This tangy seaweed salad is delicious and nourishing! Full of vitamins and minerals, it is packed with Asian-inspired flavour — mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce make a fine dressing for the crunchy seaweed.

As well as tasting wonderful, this kombu salad is quick and easy to put together: a few minutes of prep, then the fridge does the rest of the work.

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What you need to make this kombu seaweed salad:

Kombu seaweed — the crunchy base of the salad; fresh or dried, it gains in texture once blanched and well drained.
Shallots — finely chopped, they add a mild bite to the dressing.
Garlic — finely chopped, it flavours the whole dressing.
Soy sauce — the salty, umami base of the dressing.
Rice vinegar — it brings the acidity that wakes everything up.
Mirin — this sweet rice wine balances the acidity and the salt.
Sesame oil — it gives the dressing its richness and its characteristic toasted aroma.
Grated ginger — for a spicy, fresh edge.
Sesame seeds — for crunch and presentation.
Ground cayenne pepper — a touch of heat, in a small amount.
Salt and pepper — to adjust to taste.

Why this kombu seaweed salad must be on your menu!

Zero waste: the kombu used here can very well be the one left over from making dashi.
After steeping, it keeps all its texture and lends itself perfectly to a salad.
Quick and easy: the prep itself only takes a few minutes.
The rest is the 30 minutes in the fridge doing the work, giving the seaweed time to soak up the dressing.
Customizable any way you like: the mirin can be swapped for white or dark miso paste, coconut oil, maple syrup, avocado oil, or lime or lemon juice.
And the salad takes whatever you have on hand: green beans, mangetout, peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, pomegranate or raisins.
Crunch guaranteed: wringing the kombu out in kitchen paper is not optional.
It is what stops the cooking water from diluting the dressing.

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Kombu Seaweed Salad

Crunchy kombu seaweed in a dressing of mirin, sesame oil, rice vinegar and ginger.

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Total time 1 h

Course: Sides Cuisine: Japanese Keyword: Kombu seaweed salad Calories:

Ingredients

Servings: 4 servings

Instructions

Put the kombu into a pan filled with water. Bring to the boil, about 10 to 15 minutes.
As soon as the first bubbles appear, lift the kombu out into a sieve lined with kitchen paper.
Let it drain, then fold the edges of the paper over and squeeze as hard as you can to draw out as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together into a smooth paste. Tip into a salad bowl.
Add the kombu and stir through.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tips

Squeeze the kombu in the kitchen paper until nothing more comes out: otherwise the dressing goes watery.
The 30 minutes in the fridge are part of the recipe: that is when the seaweed takes up the dressing.
Mirin can be replaced with miso, maple syrup, coconut oil, or simply lime juice.
Add whatever is to hand: green beans, peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, pomegranate.

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