Cucumber & Wakame Salad
A light and refreshing salad where crisp cucumber meets tender wakame in a sweet and tangy sesame dressing. Using our dried whole wakame, harvested from the clean, cold waters around Lofoten, this simple dish highlights the natural flavour and texture of seaweed. Fresh, balanced and easy to prepare, it works beautifully as a side dish alongside fish, rice or grilled vegetables.
Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients:
3 small cucumbers (we suggest ‘Japanese Cucumbers’, but all works)
25 g wakame
1 tsp soy sauce
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar
½ tbsp sesame oil
Directions:
1)
Slice the cucumbers thinly (you can also use a mandolin for this). Sprinkle with the salt and let rest for 10–15 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
2)
If needed, break the dried whole wakame into smaller pieces so it fits comfortably into a bowl. Blanch in hot water for 30 seconds, then transfer immediately to ice water to cool. Alternatively, soak in cold water overnight.
3)
Once rehydrated, drain well and gently squeeze out any excess water. Remove any thicker stalks and slice roughly into bite sized pieces.
4)
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil until the sugar has dissolved.
5)
Gently squeeze the cucumbers to remove excess liquid.
6)
Combine the cucumbers and wakame in a bowl, pour over the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Finish with sesame seeds and serve fresh.
