Seaweed Salad with Popped Amaranth & Sesame

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 2 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

Perhaps it’s all the time I’ve been spending at the beach, or that I’ve been reading a wonderful new book on sea vegetables, or the fact that seaweed seems so cooling on a hot day, but I’ve been craving seaweed salad in a major way this summer. Recently at a Japanese restaurant I had a seaweed, or kaiso, salad garnished with deep-fried rice crackers, which offered a nice, crispy counterpoint to the tender seaweed. Making my own salad back at home, I came up with a simpler, and healthier, alternative: popped amaranth.

Ingredients

1 ounce dried mixed seaweeds or wakame
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari (can substitute soy sauce; see Recipe Notes)
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon ginger juice (made by pressing grated ginger through a strainer)
2 teaspoons honey (can substitute sugar)
2 scallions, thinly sliced or shredded
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon amaranth

Instructions

Place the seaweed in a large bowl and cover with cool water for 5 to 10 minutes until desired tenderness is reached (5 minutes for crunchier seaweed, 10 minutes for softer seaweed). Drain and gently squeeze out the excess water.
To make the dressing, combine the rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, ginger juice, and honey. Taste and adjust if desired.
In a large bowl, toss the seaweed, scallions, and half of the sesame seeds with the dressing.
To toast the amaranth, heat a deep-sided saucepan over medium heat. Add a drop of water to the pot — if it immediately sizzles, the pot is hot enough. Add the amaranth and stir continually until the seeds pop (about 10 seconds). Immediately remove from heat to prevent burning.
Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and the toasted amaranth on top of the seaweed and serve.