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What Great Grandma Ate / Recipes / Asian Seaweed Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan)

Asian Seaweed Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan)

Last Updated on October 8, 2021 by Jean Choi

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Crunchy, tangy, and refreshing Asian wakame seaweed salad that comes together quickly! It’s healthy and delicious, and packed with nutrients and umami.

wakame seaweed salad on a plate, served with chopsticks

Growing up in a Korean household, I grew up eating seaweed almost everyday in various forms. My mom would add them to soups, side dishes, salads, and more. It still gives me that “home” feeling and I try to incorporate it as much as possible. This healthy wakame seaweed salad recipe is a delicious example of that.

What is Wakame Salad?

Wakame is a popular seaweed used in various ways in Asian cuisines, especially in Korea and Japan. Deep green in color, it’s sold in long strips that are dried and shriveled up. To make this asian seaweed salad recipe or to use in dishes, you have to reconstitute it by soaking in warm water for several minutes. It will expand drastically in size, and get soft and hydrated so it’s ready to use.

Using a tong to serve japanese wakame seaweed salad on a plate

Wakame Salad Recipe

This Japanese wakame seaweed salad is healthy, crunchy, and packed with addicting umami from the natural flavor of the seaweed, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and more. It comes together very quickly, and I love serving it as a side dish to rice, sushi, poke bowls, Korean barbecue, and more. While restaurant seaweed salad can taste sickeningly sweet, this vegan Whole30 seaweed salad recipe is made without any added sugar, and you are able to taste the true, natural wonderful flavor of wakame so well!

Watch a Short Video of This Recipe!

Ingredients in Japanese Wakame Seaweed Salad

  • cut dried wakame – You should be able to purchase wakame in local Asian grocery stores. If not, you can order it online. If you can’t find cut wakame, you can chop the leaves yourself after hydrating them.
  • coconut aminos: If you are able to consume grains and gluten, you can substitute with soy sauce or tamari sauce.
  • rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar will also work in a pinch.
  • toasted sesame oil
  • ginger
  • garlic minced
  • red pepper flakes: I recommend 1 teaspoon, but you can add more if you like more heat.
  • green onion
  • sesame seeds
cut dried wakame seaweed in a bowl
pouring warm water over wakame to reconstitute and hydrate the leaves

How to Make Wakame Salad Recipe

  1. Add dried wakame leaves to a large bowl, then pour in warm water to cover. Let this sit for 10 minutes while the seaweed plumps up and hydrates.
  2. Make the dressing while the wakame is soaking. Combine coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Stir to combine, then set aside.
  3. Drain the wakame, then rinse under cold running water in a fine-mesh colander. Using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as you can then transfer to a bowl.
  4. Add green onion and the dressing. Toss together to coat evenly.
  5. Enjoy immediately, or chill until ready to serve. Garnish with more sesame seeds just before serving.
paleo and Whole30 seaweed salad on a plate with chopsticks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is wakame salad healthy?

Yes! Wakame is packed with nutrients like iodine, magnesium, calcium, folate, and manganese. In the Korean culture, postpartum women are served lots of seaweed because of their healing properties. However, if you have thyroid issues, I would check with you doctor about consuming large amounts of seaweed, since it’s so high in iodine.

Is this recipe keto-friendly?

This healthy wakame seaweed salad recipe is low carb and keto-friendly. There are only 3 grams of net carbs per serving.

How long can you store leftovers?

This paleo seaweed salad will last for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Using chopsticks to pick up a biteful prepared  salad

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Asian seaweed salad served on a plate with chopsticks

Asian Seaweed Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan)

Crunchy, tangy, and refreshing Asian wakame seaweed salad that comes together quickly! It's healthy and delicious, and packed with nutrients and umami.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin
Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese, Korean
Keyword: keto seaweed salad, paleo seaweed salad, vegan seaweed recipe, what is wakame salad, whole30 seaweed salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 53kcal

Video

Ingredients

  • 1 oz cut dried wakame about 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp, dry
  • 3 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 garlic minced
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds plus more for garnish
  • 1 green onion thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Add dried wakame to a large bowl, and add enough warm water to cover. Let this sit for 10 minutes while the seaweed plumps up and hydrates.
  • Make the dressing while the wakame is soaking. Stir together coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Set aside.
  • Drain the wakame in a fine-mesh colander, and rinse under cold running water. Use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid as you can, and transfer to a bowl.
  • Add green onion to wakame, then pour in the dressing. Toss together to coat evenly.
  • You can enjoy immediately, or chill until ready to serve. Garnish with more sesame seeds just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Asian Seaweed Salad (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan)
Amount Per Serving (1 serving – makes 4)
Calories 53 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 318mg14%
Potassium 29mg1%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 104IU2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.

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By Jean Choi | October 4, 2021

Comments

  1. Liza says

    December 17, 2022 at 4:47 am

    Wakame is kelp

  2. Blanca says

    December 23, 2022 at 7:41 am

    5 stars
    Love it!

    • Jean Choi says

      January 9, 2023 at 11:15 am

      Thank you!

      • Greg Stacy says

        February 23, 2023 at 12:57 pm

        Very good. I love the red pepper flakes. Adds just the right amount of heat.

Comments are temporarily closed while we perform maintenance on the website.

Hi, I’m Jean!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate

I’m a food lover and recipe developer living in Southern California. I love to share simple and approachable gluten-free recipes that are healthy but never sacrifice on flavor. I hope I can help you feel confident in the kitchen and inspire you to try out some new-to-you dishes!

More About Jean

Recipe Key

  • 3030 Min or Less
  • AIPAIP
  • EFEgg Free
  • LCLow Carb
  • NFNut Free
  • PPaleo
  • VVegan
  • W3Whole 30

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