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I'd worked as a line cook and prep cook at a restaurant in NYC and another one in New Jersey that both served some kind of basic AF wakame salad. And while those were passable (I guess), I really wanted something a bit more authentic.
So after many iterations, testing different balances of ingredients, and having the recipe tried by hundreds of recipe testers from around the world, the wakame salad recipe you are looking at is hands down the best I've ever made, or had, anywhere in the world.
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This particular wakame salad recipe is quite quick to prepare using pantry-friendly dried wakame and offers the perfect balance of crispness from the sesame seeds, the pleasant chewiness from the wakame, and the savory notes of the aromatics, which have been briefly unlocked in toasted sesame oil.
If you're new to cooking with seaweed, this is the perfect introduction. It's a fantastic, nourishing side to serve alongside miso-glazed eggplant (nasu dengaku), a vegan sushi bake, or maybe just to have on its own, perhaps drizzled with a little vegan kewpie mayo.
This recipe is legendary, foolproof (even if you kinda suck at cooking), and will have you nailing it on your first try. Let's rock this out!
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🥰 Why you'll adore this wakame salad recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all of my vegan Japanese recipes, no animal products in sight! And because wheat-free tamari is used to add its salty umami essence to this, it also happens to be a pretty perfect gluten-free vegan recipe!
⏱️ Fast & Effortless: You can have this salad on your plate in a matter of minutes! Just soak the seaweed, toss with the briefly sautéed aromatics, and you've got yourself a supremely healthy, flavorful Japanese side dish that only requires a handful of ingredients.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: After fine-tuning and perfecting this recipe, I shared it with a team of recipe testers around the globe. Making sure all the vegan recipes I share have been through this approval process is how I know it will work reliably in your kitchen too!
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🤷♀️ What is wakame?
Wakame is a popular, chewy type of seaweed. Really, to be more respectful, we can go ahead and call it a sea vegetable, which is what chefs I worked under at a couple of restaurants insisted upon since the word "weed" has a sorta derogatory connotation (like it's something you would prefer not to grow somewhere). I don't know, I think that it's a little wacky being that concerned about the terminology, but there you have it.
Anyway, it's not only delicious but also rich in nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It's low in calories and high in fiber.
The Dried Form of Wakame
Fueru wakame (増えるわかめ) translates to "expanding wakame" in Japanese. It refers to dehydrated or dried wakame seaweed that expands significantly when soaked in water. This type of wakame is commonly sold in lightweight, dry form, and I love keeping it on hand because (like the dried taro leaves I use to make my Laing recipe) it packs the nourishing power of dark leafy greens any time of the year and lasts seemingly forever if stored in a jar or airtight container.
Fresh or Frozen Wakame
On the other hand, some producers offer raw or salted wakame, which is typically fresher and retains a more delicate flavor. Salted wakame requires quite a lot of soaking and rinsing to remove excess salt, making dried wakame the more practical and widely used choice for seaweed salad. Some fresh and frozen packs of wakame (and I hate to tell you, this is what most Japanese restaurants in the US use) are also highly adulterated, often with practically neon artificial colors and tons of preservatives and other crap. So just stick with the trusty dried stuff, ok?
Both dried and fresh wakame have been enjoyed for centuries, especially in Japan, where it's often used in miso soup and salads, like this recipe you are checking out right this very moment!
🫚 Ingredients in wakame salad
Toasted Sesame Oil
Sesame oil has an irreplaceably distinct, nutty flavor in this wakame salad and helps carry some of the flavors of the other ingredients around your mouth as you eat it.
While you can get away with extra virgin olive oil in a pinch, it's just not going to have the same authentic flavor that wakame salad should really come packing. I can't get enough of toasted sesame oil and use it in everything from Thai basil eggplant to sundubu jjigae and Korean BBQ sauce.
Shallot
Though some people say shallots have a milder, sweeter taste, in my opinion, nothing in the entire onion universe (ugh, can you imagine how that universe would smell??) makes me cry more when prepping them.
That being said, while this salad can absolutely be made with yellow or red onions in place of them, I always have shallots on hand because they are the aromatic cornerstone of Southeast Asian cooking. I use them to make other salads from around Asia, like sambal dabu dabu, urap sayur, and sambal matah, because they are just the right size and perfectly pungent.
Ichimi Togarashi
Most people are familiar with the wildly popular shichimi togarashi, which is Japanese 7-spice. But ichimi togarashi (一味唐辛子) is just a hot and flavorful Japanese chili powder. If you don't have ichimi togarashi, my favorite swap is gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), which I always have on hand to make vegan kimchi and homemade seitan based vegan bulgogi.
A maybe-surprising substitution for ichimi togarashi is Aleppo pepper flakes (which are generally a lot less fine). But they have a similar delicious mild heat, which is why I rock it all day long in my cranberry ezme recipe, my mercimek köfte, and kisir recipe.
Yuzu Juice
Yuzu (柚子) is a citrus fruit native to Japan. Most Asian grocery stores have it either bottled and shelf-stable (until opened, at least) or frozen. If you can't get yuzu where you live, simply swap it out with fresh lemon juice.
Furikake
Furikake (ふりかけ) is a Japanese seasoning mix typically made from sesame seeds, seaweed, and sometimes dried fish (be careful if you are vegan with store-bought blends). My furikake recipe is obviously free of bonito flakes and other animal-based ingredients.
Tamari
To keep this salad gluten-free, I use tamari as the source of saltiness in the recipe. Another good GF option you can use is coconut aminos. If you aren't gluten-free, you can use nama shoyu or regular soy sauce instead.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
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🤯Variations
Wakame Salad with Roasted Tofu and Sesame Dressing
Roast some strips of extra-firm tofu in a mix of sesame oil, sriracha, and tamari, or with some chili garlic sauce until lightly golden. Toss the roasted tofu into the wakame salad and drizzle it with goma dressing.
Wakame Seaweed Salad with Radish and Japanese Cucumber
Julienne-cut some peeled daikon radish and seedless cucumber (the same kind you would use to make Japanese sunomono or Korean cucumber salad) and mix it into the sea vegetables to add some hydrating crunch to the salad.
📖 How to make this wakame seaweed salad recipe
Nail this classic Japanese seaweed salad on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Sea Vegetable Shenanigans
Place the dried seaweed into a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let the seaweed soak for 5 minutes over high heat until it has rehydrated and become tender.
Step Two
In Drain in the Membrane:
Drain the wakame thoroughly, squeezing out any excess water, and leave it in the strainer to drip dry.
Step Three
Sauté-braham Lincoln
In a skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallot, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the aromatics become fragrant and softened. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Step Four
Wakame, Waka YOU
In a large mixing bowl, toss the rehydrated wakame with the sautéed shallot, garlic, and ginger mixture. Add the ichimi togarashi, sliced scallions, sugar (if using), tamari, and yuzu juice (or rice vinegar). Give everything a good mix.
✅ If you have time, you can chill the salad for 30 minutes to let the flavors of the salad dressing absorb into the wakame. It's a great meal to have cold on a particularly hot day.
Step Five
Wayne and Garnish
Transfer the salad to your favorite serving dish. If desired, garnish with toasted sesame seeds, a sprinkle of furikake, and a few extra thinly sliced scallions.
👉Top tips
- Don't Over-soak the Wakame: No need to make this take longer than necessary. If you soak the wakame for hours, it can get a little mushy, especially if it's a little on the old side. Wakame only needs about 5-7 minutes in hot water to fully rehydrate.
- Tamari vs Soy Sauce: If you're using tamari, make sure it's the gluten-free variety if that's a concern. Tamari and shoyu (which is NOT gluten-free) have deeper umami flavors than regular soy sauce and both work great with the seaweed. However, you can swap in regular soy sauce if that's all you have on hand-just cut back a little because it tends to be quite a bit saltier.
- Chill for Maximum Flavor: This Japanese seaweed salad tastes even better after it has chilled for 30 minutes or even a few hours, making it great for meal prep. The ingredients have more time to marry, and the flavors will intensify.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can substitute some (or even all) of the wakame with other types of seaweed like hijiki or arame. Just keep in mind that each type has its own flavor profile, so you might need to adjust the seasoning to match.
If you can get your hands on them, adding in some red or green tsunomata, green tosaka, or red funori will make your salad way prettier!
If you can't find yuzu juice, a mix of lemon and lime juice will work as a substitute, although it won't provide the exact same unique citrusy flavor of yuzu.
To add some more heat, you can mix in a little sriracha, sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce, or the tiniest little bit of shatta. Be careful to adjust according to your spice tolerance.
Cucumber slices and even roughly chopped cherry tomatoes go great in this salad. You can also steam or grill up some kabocha squash (that's the same stuff you would make my kalabasa recipe with) and layer them into the salad.
Yes, if you don't have shallots, you can use finely chopped red onion or even just green onions for a milder flavor. If you avoid onions and garlic, you can make this into a sattvic recipe by just leaving out those things entirely.
Store your wakame salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Ensure the salad is well-covered to maintain freshness and prevent it from absorbing other fridge odors. Stir before serving to redistribute the dressing evenly.
✌️You'll love these vegan Japanese recipes too
Easy Wakame Salad Recipe (Seaweed with Yuzu Dressing)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup dried wakame
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup shallot or red onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- ½ teaspoon ichimi togarashi or gochugaru (optional)
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar optional
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons yuzu juice or rice vinegar
Optional Garnishes:
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon furikake
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the dried wakame in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let it soak for 5 minutes, or until rehydrated and tender. Drain well, squeezing out excess water, and set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallot, garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and softened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the rehydrated wakame with the sautéed aromatics. Add the ichimi togarashi, sliced scallions, sugar (if using), tamari, and yuzu juice or rice vinegar. Toss until well mixed. Optionally chill the salad for 30 minutes until completely cool.
- Transfer the salad to an attractive serving dish. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, furikake, or additional sliced scallions if desired.
Notes
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Kimbi Walton says
I still am surprised at how quickly this came together. The fresh and rich flavor was the best part!