Sometimes I crave for the strangest things. The other day I woke with a seaweed craving. I do not have seaweed as often as I should. Not often enough to have cravings for it anyway. Seaweed is a fantastic source of vegan protein. However, most people don’t eat enough seaweed in my opinion.  But why? One cup of seaweed contains almost as much protein as a cup of lentils, and one gram of seaweed takes care of your iodine needs for the day. Not to mention all the B12 you can get. Heaven for vegans! Seaweed is also rich in a special kind of fiber. Seaweed’s fibers turns into a gel in your stomach, keeping you feeling full longer.  What’s not to love?

Here is a seaweed salad I quickly put together. This salad is very popular in coastal Asia.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of dry brown seaweed (You can get this seaweed in any Asian supermarket. It is called “miyeok” in Korean.)
• 5 cups of cold water
• 1/4 of a white onion (thin julienne)
• 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp agave nectar

Preparation:

1. Soak the seaweed in water for 20 minutes. It will turn green and look like a sea plant. Do not be scared; it is delicious.
2. Make the sauce by mixing together the vinegar, soya sauce, and agave nectar. Adjust the proportions to your taste if necessary.
3. Boil the seaweed in water for 30 seconds. Cool.
4. Squeeze the seaweed to get rid of water. Mix it with the thinly sliced onion in a bowl.
5. Toss in the dressing. Enjoy the salad cold.

This salad is perfect for summer because the flavors are so refreshing. Don’t be having it for lunch before getting back to the office though; your co-workers will hate the onion breath. It is perfect as a barbeque side dish! I hope this salad has convinced you to enjoy more seaweed.