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Raw Seaweed Salad

Raw Seaweed Salad is a modern Fusion recipe for a classic salad of raw sea lettuce with rocket, vegetables and dried wakame. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Fusion version of: Raw Seaweed Salad.

prep time

5 minutes

cook time

15 minutes

Total Time:

20 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating:

Tags : Wild FoodVegetarian RecipesFusion RecipesFusion Recipes

This is a Fusion recipe with a notable French influence. I do like my seaweed and I go foraging as often as I can. Here I am marrying dried wakame flakes with live sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) foraged along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Sea lettuce (see image) is quite distinctive and really does look like lettuce. Be aware though, as a plant it is very good at absorbing heavy metals (including arsenic) so be careful where you pick. Also do not pick in winter where heavy metal levels are highest. Rather pick in spring or early summer, wash thoroughly and freeze for use later in the year.

The salad works without the sea lettuce, it’s just that I like it and it’s available over much of the coastal regions of the globe.

In terms of seasonal availability of the vegetables, this is naturally an early summer salad anyway and it combines some of my favourite ingredients with the seaweed. Dried wakame has a distinctly salty flavour (and thus complements the other ingredients) with a sweet overlay. As a brown alga, it also contains the pigment fucoxanthin, that is being investigated for its fat burning abilities. Fucoxanthin, via its metabolites, seems to be stored in fat cells for a prolonged period of time and can induce fat loss while inhibiting fat cell differentiation and proliferation.

You do not have to add grain mustard to the dressing (you could substitute Dijon mustard or omit completely) but I find that the mustard seeds yield an pleasant and different texture to the dish.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp dried wakame, crumbled
½ cucumber, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
½ small white cabbage, shredded
½ small red cabbage, shredded
Small bunch of spring onions (white only) halved and cut into 5cm (2 in) lengths
50g (1/2 packet) French (green) beans trimmed and halved lengthways
4 sea lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped
50g (1 cup) rocket (arugula) leaves, washed

For the Dressing:
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp grain mustard
1 tbsp chives, snipped

Method:

Putting the recipe together is simplicity itself. Combine all the vegetables in a bow. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the vegetables and toss to dress and combine.

Serve immediately. This makes a light lunch on its own and is excellent to accompany grilled fish and meats.