Seaweed, dubbed the new superfood, tastes so good. Even if you’re not a fan of vegetables, you should eat seaweed because it tastes amazing and has similar nutrients to vegetables grown on land. It’s low in calories and fats and has essential nutrients like fiber, iron, iodine, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and B. Also, you can put seaweed in almost anything and it’ll still taste delicious. Here are 12 seaweed recipes you should make this week.
1. Seaweed Salad
Scrap that basic kale salad and try substituting the greens with seaweed instead. It’s easy to prepare, is budget-friendly, is perfect for any type of meal, and is a great snack.
2. Miyeok-guk
While this Korean dish is traditionally eaten on birthdays or after giving birth, it’s tasty enough for you to eat it whenever. It’s also a great alternative to cakes because it’s super easy to make and is super healthy too.
3. Miso Soup
Think seaweed and soups are still a great idea? Make an amazing bowl of miso soup. Besides the amazing seaweed inside it, miso itself has great health benefits. It’s not just one of Chef Jamie Oliver’s favorite meals but adventurer and explorer Noel Hanna, who has climbed Mountain Everest seven times, takes it with him when he goes hiking.
4. Onigiri
You’ve seen it in animes and you’ve seen it in Japanese dramas, so why don’t you make one? Onigiri is a triangular-shaped rice ball coated or wrapped with seaweed that’s super cute and easy to make. The only part you’ll struggle with is the mold, but it’ll make for good #aesthetics on your Instagram.
5. Onigirazu
Feel like onigiris are too difficult to craft? Try making onigirazus instead. It’s onigiri without the triangle mold and it’s as convenient as one because you can put anything inside, including fried rice, more seaweed, and meat.
6. Seaweed Mayonnaise
When mayonnaise gets boring, mix seaweed in it. Seaweed mayonnaise is a great alternative to your usual spread and dips. It tastes good with tortilla chips, potato chips, and even seaweed chips too. Seaweed mayo does not discriminate.
7. Seaweed chips
Never understood kale chips? Me neither, only because I grew up with more seaweed. Regardless, seaweed chips are a great snack if you’re ever sick of kale chips. Even if you don’t like the usual taste of seaweed, these seaweed chips can be coated with other flavors, such as cayenne pepper powder for some spice.
8. Kimbap
No, it’s not sushi. It looks like sushi, but the fillings and sauces used are different. Sushi’s rice is coated with vinegar, whereas kimbap’s rice is coated with sesame oil. Kimbap also uses less raw fish compared to sushi. Regardless, kimbap is a great change from the usual sushi.
9. Sushi
Sushi, the classic Japanese dish everyone knows. If you don’t know what it is, you’re living under a rock. Sushi needs no introduction except for the fact that sushi without seaweed is nothing.
10. Nori/sushi wrap
Replace all your tortillas and pita wraps, because nori wraps are here to stay. Instead of using the typical wraps, use a toasted seaweed/nori wrap, which has less carbs. It also only contains five calories and zero fat and carbs. It’s super easy to make and it’s perfect for everyday use. No need to toast anything, just spread, dump, and wrap.
11. Sushi donut
If you want to take sushi to a whole new level of aesthetics, try crafting your sushi like a donut. It’s really simple — take your usual sushi roll and curl it in like a donut. Voila, you have an extremely colourful yet healthy donut.
12. Deconstructed Sushi
If you considered all the previous options of sushi styles too difficult to craft, deconstructed sushi will save you. It’s as simple as dumping all the usual ingredients of sushi into a bowl or mason jar, and you’re set for a lovely meal.
As you can see, there’s more to seaweed than just sushi, so switch it up. That said, you shouldn’t completely ignore your vegetables, just add seaweed to mask the taste of vegetables you don’t like and get a boost of nutrients.