How To

How to Cook With Seaweed

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By eHow Contributing Writer
(11 Ratings)

Seaweed is a nutritional addition to your diet, containing high amounts of B vitamins and minerals. It's an easy ingredient to incorporate into your cooking, with most seaweeds requiring only soaking and brief cooking.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Prepare seaweed for use. Seaweed is dried for packaging, and some varieties of seaweed, such as arame and wakame, need to be soaked before you use them. Read the direction on the package.

  2. Step 2

    Consider seasonings that complement the flavor of seaweed as you create your own recipes. Asian seasonings are classic complements. Toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, tamari, brown rice vinegar, carrots, onions and cucumbers are all delicious complements to start with.

  3. Step 3

    Use as a digestive aid for bean dishes. Add a two-inch piece of kombu to the water when you are cooking dry beans and the beans will be easier to digest.

  4. Step 4

    Make sushi, one of the most common uses for seaweed. Use nori seaweed for this dish. It's ready to use out of the package or you can toast it over a flame.

  5. Step 5

    Add to soup. Seaweed can be added to miso soup or your favorite vegetable soup as it cooks, or nori can be crumbled on top as a condiment. You can also add soaked seaweed to seasoned nut milk for a raw soup.

  6. Step 6

    Create salads. Toss soaked seaweed with cucumbers, greens, toasted sesame oil and your favorite seasonings, or experiment with it in your favorite salad recipes.

  7. Step 7

    Try a sauté. Arame and wakame make delicious main dishes when sautéed with carrots and onions. Add a splash of roasted sesame oil and some toasted sesame seeds before serving.

  8. Step 8

    Make a sandwich. Sautéed seaweed goes well on a sandwich, as does dulse. A simple recipe is to put sautéed arame or wakame on wholegrain toast with cream cheese. Or try using fried dulse to replace bacon in a BLT.

Tips & Warnings
  • Though some seaweed varieties taste too "fishy" for some people, there are a number of mild varieties, such as arame and wakame.
  • You can find packaged seaweed at natural food stores. The packaging often contains recipe suggestions. Asian markets are another good source for seaweed, but the variety and use may not be clearly marked on the package.
  • Even when you are cooking seaweed in a recipe with liquid, soaking it first removes any debris and also ensures that it will cook fully and evenly. Kombu, however, can just be rinsed if you are using it as a digestive aid.

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