15 Umami-Packed Seaweed Recipes, Because the Leafy Greens of the Sea Deserve Love, Too

Because the vegetables of the sea deserve some love, too.

August 2, 2015

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Wakame, arame, kelp, hijiki—we'll never turn down a chance to get our fill of the other leafy greens. These 15 awesome seaweed recipes are about to bring some serious umami into your cooking repertoire.

Sarah Flotard, food styling by Malina Lopez
1/15
Japanese-Style Pickled Cucumbers with Seaweed and Sesame
These quick pickles are ready in a flash.
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Zach DeSart
2/15
Nori Salt
A dose of nori adds savory depth to plain old kosher salt.
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Chris Searl
3/15
Snapper Sashimi with Seaweed and Fennel
The type of fish you use is less important than its quality. Black bass, striped bass, and fluke all translate well; ask your fish guy for what’s freshest.
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4/15
Wakame
Succulent and subly sweet wakame is delicious all on its own.
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5/15
Swordfish with Seaweed Salsa Verde
Combining the herbs for the salsa verde with seaweed really gives this dish a fresh-from-the-sea flavor.
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6/15
Seaweed and Tofu Beignets with Lime Mayonnaise
These airy beignets are topped with yuzu kosho, a spicy condiment made with yuzu (an aromatic Japanese citrus), chile, and salt. Though not the same, we got great results using lemons.
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Gentl & Hyers
7/15
Wakame-Cucumber Salad
This lightly pickled mix of vegetables and seaweed is especially good with seafood.
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Ture Lillegraven
8/15
Scallops with Nori Brown Butter and Dill
These seared scallops on the half shell make for a showstopping presentation. If your fishmonger can’t order the shells for you, use small plates.
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9/15
Pickled Vegetable Salad with Nori Vinaigrette
It might seem fussy to separate the vegetables when pickling, but if they’re combined, the colors will bleed and they won’t be as vibrant.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
10/15
Seared Salmon with Winter Vegetables and Kombu Broth
This light but richly flavored broth is good with any fatty, skin-on fish fillet, such as Arctic char or sea bass.
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Alanna Hale
11/15
Hot and Sour Cucumbers with Seaweed and Burnt Chili
Leave it to Danny Bowien to figure out a way to give cucumbers this much flavor.
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Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
12/15
Blackened Cabbage with Kelp Brown Butter
The initial charring of the cabbage is key: Be brave. If you think you’ve made a terrible mistake and burned dinner, you’re doing something right. Learn more here.
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13/15
Spicy Seattle Tuna Rolls
So easy you'll wonder why you never made hand rolls at home before.
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14/15
Nori-Sesame Butter
Nori and two kinds of sesame seeds do a number on plain old butter.
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Jeff Lipsky
15/15
Yudofu
Dashi, the all-important Japanese master broth, forms the base of this tofu dish.
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As the senior food editor at Bon Appétit, Christina spends her days in the BA Test Kitchen dreaming up recipes for home cooks (Chocolate-Matcha Butter Mochi Cake and Green Curry Lentil Soup are favorites). She also oversees the brand’s digital recipe content, working with freelancers and test kitchen staff to ... Read More

Senior Food Editor

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