Eating Like a Seasteader: Wacky Wakame Cucumber Salad

Wakame – although it’s extremely popular as a salad base in Japan and East Asia, it’s considered an invasive species here in the Bay Area.

In this episode, Charlie and Katie learn the hard way that dehydrated seaweed expands A LOT in boiling water.

Katie gives a master class in chopping cucumbers, and Charlie channels his inner Herb Alpert while making a miso-honey-vinaigrette.

Get the full guide to ocean superfoods here.

Wakame Cucumber Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces wakame seaweed
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (substitute apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon yellow miso paste
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (substitute powder)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil salt, for seasoning
• 6 thinly sliced, small Persian cucumbers (or 1 large seedless cucumber)
• 2 thinly sliced scallions toasted sesame seeds or hemp seeds

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.
2. Add wakame seaweed and remove the saucepan from the heat; let stand until softened, 20 minutes.
3. Drain the wakame, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Remove any tough ribs from the wakame and thinly slice.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk rice vinegar with lime juice, yellow miso paste and ginger, along with honey. Whisk in olive oil and toasted sesame oil and season with salt.
5. Add the wakame along with cucumbers and scallions and toss well.
6. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve right away.

Recipe courtesy of Kacie Loparto.