If you’re like me and bought one of those huge Costco C-weed Seaweed Salad bags you might be wondering what to do with so much seaweed salad? Yes, ready made seaweed salad is great as side, or with sushi. But what else can you do with seaweed salad? Read on for a few tips.
Previous times I could resist the urge. That huge bag of seaweed salad at Costco. I love seaweed salad, but a 1 kg (over 2 lb) bag is just too much for this 2 person household. But last week it was on sale and suddenly the bag was in my cart. Only for me to realize at home, that, once opened, you had to finish it in 5 to 7 days**.
So I went on a hunt for inspiration what to do with seaweed salad. But first:
~~ this post will be updated whenever I have a new exciting use for the seaweed salad, so save the link and check in regularly. ~~
Can you save seaweed salad?
Well, the package says only for 5 to 7 days** in a closed bag in your fridge. According to the internet, freezing is not an option. Others disagree and say it’s doable. I guess you’ll loose on texture when you freeze the seasoned seaweed salad due to the acid and salt in the vinaigrette. I vacuumed a large portion and will report back.
Another suggestion I got is to dry the seaweed salad. And that got me really exciting with the possibilities, but it’s Summer and I don’t feel like turning on the oven. update: After baking off a baguette, I spread some of the seaweed salad onto a rack and put it in the oven (turned off). After 2 hours I let the SoCal Summer sun finish the work. ~ to be continued
So I guess I do need to try to eat it all. update: I might be able to pull it off! 😱
** A note about the expiration date: often you can keep items for a longer time than recommended. For the seaweed salad I’d suggest keeping it submerged in the salty brine and push out most air before sealing the bag. Use clean utensils only. And use all your senses to determine if you’d like to eat it on day 8 or 9 (or even later) after opening. **
Okay, over to the main question:
What to do with seaweed salad?
My search engine wasn’t much of a help for inspiration how to use seaweed salad in a dish. Yes, as a side, I was often told. Most hits explain how to make seaweed salad from scratch, using dried seaweed. Or gave me all kinds of dishes to make with seaweed, not with an already made seaweed salad. Great for another time.
I asked on Instagram, but having excess amounts of seaweed salad might not have been something my followers have been dealing with lately. Freeze and eat it were the common suggestions. And drying it. That’s not one I had thought of myself!
To brainstorm ideas, I started with how I know seafood salad best: with sushi. Which means: rice, salmon, tuna, other fish, shrimp, tofu, cucumber, avocado, something spicy (optional) and I came up with the following suggestions:
~ Sushi or poke bowl
The bag inspired to make my own poke bowl. The Hawaiian dish is one of my fav take-out options and I never had the incline to make it myself. Just too many small bites to chop and prepare. But I knew I had some sushi rice, edamame beans in the freezer and silken tofu I really needed to finish, so homemade poke bowl was the first dish I made.
I boiled the rice just how I do for sushi, warmed the beans, sliced a cucumber and avocado, chopped up a spring onion and tore a few Romaine leaves into small pieces. I marinated my silken tofu with soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar and chili crisp. Basically mimicking the bowl I always create at the counter at my favor poke place. But with an overload of seaweed salad.
The bag is open. How can I incorporate the seaweed salad in my other meals this week?
~ Cold cucumber seaweed salad soup
Then I came across the Korean cold cucumber soup called Oi Naengguk. My heart made a little jump, as I saw the possibilities. I didn’t had the exact same seaweed that is traditionally used in Korean kitchens, but I knew I wanted to make it with the seaweed salad. It worked. I can’t compare it to the original, but I really liked this take on the cold Korean cucumber soup.
And I can only say one thing:
I can stop typing now, as I found the dish I want to eat over and over again. Here’s how I made it!
~ Seaweed salad salad
No, that’s not a typo. But the soup inspired me to brainstorm a new favorite filling meal salad (or Sensational Salads or Bowls as I coined them) in which I could incorporate the seaweed salad.
Besides the ingredients listed above, spinach would be a nice base. Add cucumber, avocado and shrimp/salmon/tofu (your choice) and the seaweed salad. A dressing with soy sauce, the seaweed liquid and oil to finish it of. Maybe some lemon or lime juice? And you might want to add some crunchy fried onions or shallots on top.
For some reason, I feel a soft boiled egg would work as a protein option too, but I will need to try out if the combo egg-seaweed salad works.
Or keep it simple and make a light side salad the way I did the night I wrote this. While the husband fried some lumpias (eggrolls/springrolls) in a skillet, I tore a few leaves of Romaine into small pieces, thinly sliced a small Persian cucumber and cut up half an avocado. A nice dollop of the seaweed salad went on top, and I only seasoned the dish with some canola and sesame oil. To finish it, I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top. The fresh bright salad worked beautifully with the crunchy, slightly fatty pork lumpias (also a Costo find, btw) and their accompanying bright red sweet chili sauce.
~ Noodle salad with seaweed
Then I thought of noodles. Your search engine will give you hits for “seaweed noodles”, aka Korean noodles made from kelp, which is a seaweed. Those are not what we’re after. But I do see a cold wheat noodle salad with spinach, seaweed salad, and some of the other ingredients already listed above as a dish this upcoming week. Maybe grated carrot too? Seasoned with sriracha or Korean gochujang. Yum!
~ A burger
A list with ideas won’t be complete without a burger. Make your favorite fish, shrimp or tofu burger and add seaweed salad as a topping. I like how Claire Thomas at The Kitchy Kitchen does it: very simple. She only adds the seaweed salad and a sriracha mayo, and I really think this is a great example of less is more. It is on my to cook list.
~ In a smoothie
One of my favorite bites of the salad that accompanied the lumpias, was one with only avocado and seaweed salad. So I know there is a smoothie in there. But with what other ingredients?
update: A large handful of spinach, half an avocado, 1 banana and a scoop of the seaweed salad (1/4 cup or so), puréed with enough coconut milk and water to make it drinkable. Add lemon juice to taste. It’s sweet, hearty and the seaweed salad gives it a savory kick you don’t get often in a smoothie. I liked it.
~ In your cocktails
I mentioned a few times using the brine from the seaweed salad. So I can totally see how you can use this umami rich saltiness in your favorite cocktail that uses pickle or olive brine. Note: the brine is fluorescent green!
And if you don’t believe me: your search engine will give you tons of suggestions.
Other suggestions?
Have you other ideas how to use seaweed salad in a new dish? Or have tried out one of mine? Let me know in the comment section below!
I made a fried rice Korean bim bap bowl and added in some seaweed salad and it was great!
Yeah, I love that too, Gigi!