Trio of seaweed recipes

In the West, seaweed is used almost exclusively in sushi. However, seaweed has a refined taste and several nutritional benefits. Here are recipes featuring these often underrated ingredients, so you can familiarize yourself with their range of flavors and preparation. You will be won over by their salty taste!

Sweet and savory fruit salad

The little seaweed is a red algae with a naturally salty marine taste that balances well with the natural sugar of the fruits. This salad is a good way to gently include seaweed in your seaweed repertoire. 

Preparation: 10 minutes                       Level: Easy                                 Servings: 6 to 8 salads

Ingredients

• 1 papaya, cleaned and cut into small cubes
• 1 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
• 1 cup wild raspberries
• 1 orange, peeled and diced
• 15 g of small chopped seaweed
• 2 tbsp. teaspoon of honey
• 1 tbsp. 1 tbsp orange juice

* Preferably use organic ingredients.

Preparation

1. Place the prepared fruits in a large salad bowl, stirring gently so as not to break the raspberries. Add the little seaweed.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and orange juice. Pour over the fruit salad. Serve immediately. 

Vegetarian rolls with nori & miso sauce

Nori is a seaweed well known for the preparation of famous sushi. To go out of the ordinary, you can use nori to make sandwiches and rolls that are easily adaptable to vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo and even raw diets. For a raw alternative, replace the beetroot baba ganouj with raw tapenade. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes                            Level: Advanced                                  Servings: 6 rolls

Ingredients

Vegetarian rolls

• ½ cup baba ganouj
• 2 cooked beets
• 2 cups red cabbage cut into thin strips
• ½ English cucumber cut into juliennes
• 1 large grated carrot
• Alfalfa
• 6 sheets of nori

Miso sauce

• ¼ cup tahini (sesame butter)
• 2 tbsp. teaspoon miso paste
• 2 tbsp. tamari
• ½ lime juice
• _ cup of water

* Preferably use organic ingredients.

Preparation

1. In a food processor, combine the baba ganouj and cooked beets until smooth. Reserve.
2. Place the nori sheets on a flat, clean surface and gather all the vegetables for assembly.
3. In each of the nori sheets, place a good quantity of baba ganouj, as well as rows of vegetables.
4. Complete the assembly by turning the nori sheet on itself while placing a small amount of lukewarm water on the touching pieces of nori, so that the sheet softens and sticks together.
5. For the sauce miso, mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour into small bowls.
6. To enjoy, dip the nori rolls in the sauce. 

Seaweed salad with Asian flavors

This seaweed salad explodes with flavors and you won't feel like you're eating sea vegetables. Arame is used in this salad, a marine algae that forms filaments reminiscent of rice vermicelli. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes                       Level: Intermediate                 Servings: 6 salads

Ingredients

Salade d'algues

• 50 g of dried aramé
• 2/3 cup fresh or thawed edamame (soy beans)
• ½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• ½ orange pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon of sesame seeds
• Fresh coriander to taste
• Himalayan salt

Dressing

• 1 ½ tsp. tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 ½ tsp. lime juice
• 1 ½ tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. tamari table

* Preferably use organic ingredients.

Preparation

1. Boil a liter of water and pour over the aramé seaweed previously placed in a large bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all the ingredients together. Reserve.
3. Once the 15 minutes have passed, drain the seaweed and pat dry to remove as much of the soaking water as possible.
4. In a salad bowl, assemble everything by placing the seaweed, edamame, peppers, shallots, seasonings and vinaigrette.
5. Toss the salad well and serve immediately. 

For more information on algae and the different types of edible algae, consult our in-store specialists or read our article for this purpose. Do not hesitate to come see us at La Boite à Grains, we are here for you.

Enjoy your food!

About the author

Naturopaths from La Boite à Grains

Team of qualified and certified naturopaths (ND) in Gatineau in Outaouais.

Original article written by Véronique Cousineau, Naturopath