By Elizabeth Stark
Here in the US, seaweed earned a bad rap in the 70’s as a kind of far out health food. Of course, many Asian and northern European cultures have been enjoying this delicious sea vegetable for centuries. Seaweed is packed with fiber, algin, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K–truly a super food. Interested?
This nutritious hijiki and carrot salad is a great way to get to know the vitamin dense sea vegetable. Sauteed carrots, ginger and lemon compliment the nutty hijiki. This versatile salad is great by itself, or over noodles or rice.
Hijiki and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried hijiki
- warm water
- 3 cups carrots, peeled and julienned
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- sesame seeds for garnish
Directions
- Using a fine mesh strainer, rinse the dried hijiki, and then dump it into a small bowl. Cover the seaweed with warm water and set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the carrots and ginger.
- In a large saute pan or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and ginger and saute for 8 minutes, until the carrots soften and brown on the edges. Drain the hijiki, and add to the pan. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and lemon. Taste the mixture and adjust the salt and acid as needed.
- Serve warm or cold, by itself or over noodles or rice. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
