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Home » Appetizers & Sides

Easy Korean Seaweed Salad Recipe #vegan

Published: May 14, 2019 · Updated: Jan 19, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

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Korean seaweed salad on rectangular wooden plate with chopped cucumber and wooden bowl of pink salt in the background.

This cool Korean seaweed salad is uber healthy, quick to make, and HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. Make this all-time favorite, classic side dish quickly and easily from your pantry.

Wakame seaweed salad on long wooden plate with black chopsticks and chopped cucumber on the side.

Vegan Korean salad makes a cool accompaniment to other hot vegan Korean foods such as vegan soft tofu soup or vegan kimchi fried rice.

The Secret Sauce

The sauce is a combination of sour and umami that makes this salad taste a bit like a pickle from the sea.

The sauce is not a huge secret, but these simple seasonings in combination freshen up the seaweed so much.

  1. Unseasoned rice vinegar
  2. Salt
  3. A touch of sugar
  4. Your choice of soy sauce, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos

That's all you need.  You could also add sesame seeds and sesame oil if you wish too.

Other Ingredients you will need

Ingredients needed for Korean seaweed salad recipe on marble board.

You will need dried seaweed, specifically the wakame variety, an English cucumber, and white onion.

Some restaurants skip the cucumber, probably due to additional cost, so you can too if you don't have one on hand.

Wakame seaweed is sold in various packaging.  This recipe calls for 1.5 oz.  If you don't want to weight, that equals about a handful dried or 4 cups of seaweed hydrated.

The Shortcut method

The traditional way to make this salad is to rehydrate the seaweed and then blanch it in boiling water for a couple of minutes. This makes the seaweed silkier in texture and also seals in the green color a bit.

Fortunately, I don't mind a bit of crunch or discoloration, so the shortcut method is to rehydrate the seaweed by covering in boiling water.

3 Reasons you should eat Seaweed

If you are squeamish about seaweed, here are 3 reasons you should start eating this wonder food according to Self magazine.

  1. Studies have shown that it can help block fat absorption.
  2. Seaweed is rich in minerals such as iodine, which you don't get from Kosher salt. (Table salt is fortified with iodine but so heavily processed and avoided by most cooks).
  3. It contains both fiber (which helps satiate your appetite) and protein.

Health reasons aside, it's also just tasty, and you can easily keep it stocked in your pantry.

Korean seaweed salad in wood bowl with black chopsticks on the side.

Why you should keep Seaweed in your pantry

Unlike a dark, leafy green that must be bought fresh or stored frozen, this equally vitamin rich vegetable comes dried.

You may not always have time to shop for fresh vegetables or have space in your freezer.

However, you can keep dried seaweed stored in your pantry and quickly rehydrate it whenever you need some greens.

Is this recipe Korean or Japanese?

This is very similar to a Japanese wakame salad and could be interchangeably called the same thing.

The recipe presented here is what you might find as a banchan item in a Korean restaurant.

How to make Korean Seaweed Salad

Step #1: Bloom seaweed

Dried seaweed in glass container on marble board.
Wakame seaweed in water in a glass rectangle container.

Pour boiling hot water over the seaweed.  It will need 20-30 minutes to fully hydrate and you can leave as long as overnight.

The liquid should come up to room temperature, and the seaweed will be slightly crunchy to the bite.

Step #2: Chop Cucumber & Onion

Sliced cucumbers and white onion on wooden cutting board.

While the seaweed is rehydrating, slice the onion and cucumber.  Thin slices, as thin as you can go to match the thin pieces of seaweed.

If you don't like the bite of raw onion, rinse under cold water to remove some of the sting. 

Step #3: Drain and chop seaweed

Chopped seaweed, white onion, and english cucumber in glass bowl.

Once the seaweed has bloomed, drain, and roughly chop into 1 - 2" pieces.  Put in a bowl with the sliced onion and cucumber.

TIP: Save the seaweed water. The leftover soaking liquid contains massive amounts of umami.

You can save and use for miso soup or in place of water for another soup, such as vegan Korean tofu soup.

Step #4: Toss

Korean seaweed salad tossed in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Toss the vegetables with the rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and soy sauce.  Taste and season with additional salt if desired.

Step #5: Serve

Korean seaweed salad on rectangular wooden plate with chopped cucumber and wooden bowl of pink salt in the background.

Mound onto a plate or make ahead up to 3 days in advance.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note that the longer you store this salad, the fresh green color starts to deteriorate, but it is still tasty.

Helpful Tips:

  1. Cover seaweed with hot water to make it softer. Though you can just soak it in room temperature overnight. It will just be a little more crunchy. If you prefer the seaweed to silkier in texture, cook in boiling water on the stove for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Save the seaweed water if desired for miso soup or other soup in place of water.
  3. Rinse the onions in water to take away some of their raw bite.
  4. Optional garnish with sesame seeds for crunch and sesame oil for extra flavor.
  5. Make ahead and keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, though it will start to discolor and become less green the longer it sits with the vinegar dressing.

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Recipe

Korean seaweed salad in wood bowl with black chopsticks on the side.
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5 from 2 votes

Korean Seaweed Salad

This cool Korean seaweed salad is uber healthy, quick to make, and HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. Make this all-time favorite, classic side dish quickly and easily from your pantry.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Korean
Keyword easy vegan salad, paleo salad recipes, seaweed salad recipe
Calories 54kcal
Author Agile Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ oz dried wakame seaweed or 4 c hydrated
  • ½ ea onion thinly sliced
  • ½ ea English cucumber thinly sliced
  • ½ c rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce or liquid aminos or coconut aminos
  • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Pour boiling water over dried seaweed. Allow seaweed to rehydrate for at least 20 minutes or until the water reaches room temperature.
  • Drain and chop seaweed into approximately 1" pieces.
  • Toss seaweed with remaining ingredients. Season with additional salt if needed. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

  1. Cover seaweed with hot water to make it softer. Though you can just soak it in room temperature overnight. It will just be a little more crunchy. If you prefer the seaweed to silkier in texture, cook in boiling water on the stove for 2-3 minutes. 
  2. Save the seaweed water if desired for miso soup or other soup in place of water. 
  3. Rinse the onions in water to take away some of their raw bite.
  4. Optional garnish with sesame seeds for crunch and sesame oil for extra flavor. 
  5. Make ahead and keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, though it will start to discolor and become less green the longer it sits with the vinegar dressing. 

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3081mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @agiletestkitchen or tag #agiletestkitchen!

Do you love seaweed salads? Please spread the Asian ♥ and share!

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    November 17, 2021 at 2:58 am

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe, I made sure to check all of the Wakame of any hard veins. I also used the Wakame water to pour over top just to have some juice with it, plus I added a touch of sesame seed oil for a bit more flavor like you suggested.

    Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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