Asian Fusion Wakame Salad

From the second edition of Sensational Salads to Cool the Earth, by Beth Love

This is a really delicious, nutrient dense salad that comes together quickly. Eat for the Earth is serving this and many other samples at Santa Cruz VegFest on May 31, 2025.

Yield:

8–12 servings (about 10–12 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 1 ounce dry instant wakame seaweed
• ½ large cucumber, cut into 1½ inch long matchsticks
• 1 carrot, cut into thin 1½ inch long matchsticks
• 1–2 celery stalks, thinly sliced (enough for ½ cup)
• Cauliflower, cut into small florets (enough for ½ cup florets)
• ½ pound tofu, diced small
• 2 tablespoons raw shelled pine nuts
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper (or half of each), cut into 1½ inch long matchsticks
• 1 or 2 green onions, thinly sliced (use both green and white parts)
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar, or more to taste
• ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• ½ cup brown or black sesame seeds

Directions:

1. If edamame is frozen, remove from freezer and measure out 1 cup. Leave it at room temperature to thaw while you prepare other ingredients.
2. Soak wakame in a large bowl with several times its volume of water.
3. Make dressing: Mix ginger, garlic, brown rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
4. When wakame has at least doubled in volume, drain well, discarding liquid.
5. Add edamame, tofu, pine nuts, prepared veggies, cilantro, salad dressing, and sesame seeds to the drained wakame in a large bowl.
6. Mix well and taste to adjust seasonings (rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic).
7. Serve.

Notes, Substitutions, and Variations:

• Shelled edamame is often available in the frozen vegetable section of your local grocery store.
• Be sure to use instant wakame for this salad, because it will soak up water and become tender very quickly. If you cannot find instant wakame, use regular wakame and give it a good long soak until it is tender. Cut the soaked wakame into bite-sized pieces.
• If wakame seaweed is not available, you can substitute arame seaweed. Or, use dulse. If using dulse, don’t soak it as it will fall apart. Mix remaining salad ingredients together, then add pieces of dulse, stir together, and serve.
• This salad will keep well for several days in the refrigerator.
• Try different nuts instead of pine nuts, for example macadamia nuts or almonds.
• Use different seasonal vegetables. Others that work well in this dish include snap peas, green beans, radishes, and fennel.
• Substitute cubes of cooked tempeh for the tofu.
• Add more red pepper flakes or a chopped fresh ripe chile if you want more heat.
• If you avoid soy in your diet, omit the tofu or replace with tofu made from pumpkin seeds (Pumfu), if available. Substitute frozen or fresh shelled peas for edamame.

The book Sensational Salads to Cool the Earth is in the Tastes Like Love series by Eat for the Earth’s founder and Executive Director Beth Love. This recipe is used by permission of the author.