Name: Mixed Seaweed Salad with Avocado and Red Pepper
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 10 g dried dulse; 10 g dried wakame; 10 g dried nori; 10 g dried sugar kelp; 125 g mixed salad leaves (preferably with ingredients such as kale, grated carrot, beetroot or baby leaves); 1 red pepper; 1 avocado; A few sprigs fresh chives; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 1 tsp tahini (optional for a creamier dressing)

This recipe is a simple way to explore different types of seaweed in one dish. Nori becomes soft and delicate once blanched, dulse brings colour and texture, while wakame and sugar kelp have a firmer bite and benefit from a slightly longer cooking time. For a softer texture overall, you can simply blanch the seaweeds for a few extra minutes.

The quantities here are flexible rather than exact, more of a guide than a strict recipe. You can adjust the balance of seaweeds depending on what you enjoy or have available, though we wouldn’t recommend Ocean Truffle here, as it works better in cooked dishes than prepared fresh like this.

Combined with a ready to eat salad mix, avocado, red pepper and a sesame soy dressing, it’s an easy way to bring seaweed into everyday meals without overcomplicating things.

(Boiling the seaweed can remove up to 90% of its iodine content.)

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Prepare the dulse and nori by blanching them in boiling water for 2mins, then transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Blanch the wakame and sugar kelp for 8-10 minutes depending on your preferred texture, then add to the ice water bowl.
Drain all the seaweeds well in a colander, allowing as much excess liquid as possible to drain away.
Cut the dulse into smaller bite sized pieces and add to a large mixing bowl.
Remove thick stalks and thinly slice the wakame and sugar kelp into strips. Finely chop the nori before adding all the seaweeds to the bowl.
Chop the red pepper and slice the avocado into small pieces. Add to the bowl along with the salad leaves and chopped chives.
In a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Add tahini if using.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine before serving.

Products used in this recipe