Featured Comment:
“Great combination to highlight local produce. I lined wakame mix with local lettuce, clover sprouts and julienne carrots to add color. Perfect sauce for wakame mix and tofu. Garnished with lemon slices. Served with inari sushi and mochi for dessert. Well received by friends!!!”
– M
What is Wakame Salad (Japanese Seaweed Salad)?
Wakame salad is a type of salad that is popular in Japan, it’s made with a type of seaweed called wakame and typically mixed with other ingredients such as cucumber and tofu. There are other types of seaweed salads throughout Asia, but Japanese wakame salad is characterized by its sour flavor that comes from the addition of rice vinegar.
It is commonly served cold, and as a small side salad, so you would rarely see a big portion of wakame salad served on its own.
Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Dried Wakame: Recommended due to its availability and ease of use. Fresh wakame may not be readily accessible.
- Silken Tofu: Ideal for its smooth texture, though firm tofu can also be used as an alternative.
- Cucumber: Japanese or Persian cucumbers are preferred for their crisp texture.
- Mini Tomatoes: Provide a sweet and juicy element. Regular-sized tomatoes can be substituted too.
- Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi): An optional ingredient that adds a savory depth. Omit for a plant-based version of the dish.
- Dressing Ingredients: Create a flavorful dressing using dashi stock (or water), rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger paste, and ground sesame seeds.
Other than above, here are the ingredient ideas that are commonly used in Japanese households:
- Daikon radish
- Onion
- Broccoli sprouts
- Boiled octopus
- Boiled squid
- Dried young sardines
- Okura…etc
At the end of the day, it’s salad, so you can remove or add any salady ingredients as you like!
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Wakame Salad at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Wakame is generally purchased in its dried form and needs to be rehydrated. Soaking time varies from brand to brand, but generally, it only takes 5-10 minutes. I recommend using warm or room temperature water and ensuring the wakame is fully submerged.
Once rehydrated, drain the water and squeeze thoroughly to remove the excess liquid in the wakame before adding it to the salad.
Silken tofu (and tofu in general) has a high water content. If you add it to the salad, the excess liquid will leak out and dilute the sauce. To prevent this, I wrap the tofu in kitchen paper and microwave it for 1 minute 30 seconds at 600W. This shortcut method to evaporate some liquid (rather than pressing) works every time!
Leave it to cool for a few minutes, then cut it into cubes, ready to add to your salad.
The best salad dressings are the ones you can whip up in a minute! I use dashi (or water), rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger paste, sugar, sesame oil, and ground sesame seeds in my sauce. Simply mix them all in a small bowl or jug, and that’s it! (See recipe card below for ingredient quantities.)
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and thinly slice the cucumber, then place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the salad dressing. Toss them together until well distributed.
If your tofu is still quite fragile, mix all the other ingredients first and then add the tofu last to stop it from breaking too much.
Wakame salad is best served chilled, so I recommend putting it in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before serving! This also allows the ingredients to absorb the sauce, so it tastes even better!
It’s a personal preference, but I also like to sprinkle some bonito flakes (katsuobushi) on top.
Alternatively, you could sprinkle it with sesame seeds or even chili flakes to give it a spicy kick!
Enjoy!
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsHow to Store
Due to the water content in the vegetables, wakame salad is best eaten the day it’s made.
FAQ
Wakame (scientific name: Undaria pinnatifida) is a species of large seaweed classified in the Chigaiaceae family of the brown algae class kelp. It is said that wakame was first eaten in Japan during the Jomon period (6000-300 B.C.), and has been found along with Jomon earthenware at the Kamegaoka site in Aomori Prefecture.
During the Asuka period (592-710, it was even stipulated as “one of the taxes” in the “Taiho Ritsuryo,” the oldest law in Japan.
However, even in Japan, normal households would use dried wakame rather than fresh wakame for convenience. Dried wakame is simply a fresh wakame that has been dried to lengthen its shelf life. You simply soak it in warm water for about 10 minutes to rehydrate it.
Wakame has a briny and slightly sweet flavor; it’s packed with umami and is commonly used in soups, salads, or even eaten as a snack.
I mentioned earlier that wakame salad is usually served as a small side dish, you might wonder what goes well with it. Because it has a sour flavor, I recommend having it with a Japanese fish dish and a bowl of cooked rice. My personal recommendations are the following:
Saba no Shioyaki (Japanese style grilled mackerel)
Japanese Salted Salmon (Shiozake)
Saba no Misoni (Mackerel Simmered in Miso)
Teriyaki Salmon
Japanese Miso Glazed Salmon
Teriyaki Cod
Sanma no Shioyaki (Salt Grilled Pacific Saury)
It’s also a great dish to serve alongside sushi and sashimi!
I hope you enjoy this Wakame Salad recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Salad Recipes
- Japanese Potato Salad (Izakaya Style)
- Japanese Chicken Salad (with Homemade Dressing)
- Japanese Style Avocado Egg Salad with Wasabi Mayo
- Sashimi Salad (with Homemade Japanese Wafu Dressing)
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Salad Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next meal!
Wakame Salad (Japanese Seaweed Salad) with Cucumber
Ingredients
Wakame Salad
- 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed 1 tbsp is approx 5g
- 150 g silken tofu
- 50 g Japanese cucumber thinly sliced
- 5 mini tomatoes halved
- bonito flakes (katsuobushi) optional (omit for plant-based diets)
Wakame Salad Dressing
- 1 tbsp dashi stock or water
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- ½ tsp ground sesame seeds
Instructions
- Soak 1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed in a bowl of warm water according to the instructions on the packaging. (This usually takes 5-10 mins).
- Wrap 150 g silken tofu in kitchen paper and microwave it for 1 minute 30 seconds at 600W. Allow it to cool slightly before cutting it into bitesize cubes.
- Mix the dressing ingredients (1 tbsp dashi stock, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), ¼ tsp sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp ginger paste and ½ tsp ground sesame seeds) in a small bowl or jug.
- Drain the water from the wakame and squeeze it thoroughly to remove any excess water. Add it to a large mixing bowl along with 50 g Japanese cucumber, 5 mini tomatoes and cubed tofu. Add the dressing and mix until well distributed. (Mix gently to avoid breaking the tofu too much. Alternatively, mix without the tofu and add it at the end.)Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Divide into serving bowls, sprinkle with bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and enjoy!
Great combination to highlight local produce. I lined wakame mix with local lettuce, clover sprouts and julienne carrots to add color. Perfect sauce for wakame mix and tofu. Garnished with lemon slices. Served with inari sushi and mochi for dessert. Well received by friends!!!
Hi M,
Thank you for the comment!
Great ideas to add more color, it must have been beautiful! I’m happy you and your friends had a good time.
Yuto