Wafu Salad

Crispy lettuce leaves and translucent cucumber slices, bound by a soy and sesame dressing. The balance between the sharp acidity of rice vinegar and the depth of toasted sesame oil.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 0 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 169
• Protein: 3 g
• Carbs: 9 g
• Fat: 13 g

Ingredients

• 1 piece Butterhead lettuce ( washed and torn by hand )
• 0.5 piece Cucumber ( thinly sliced )
• 2 piece Round tomato ( in wedges )
• 10 g wakame seaweed ( dried, to be rehydrated )
• 0.3 piece Onion ( very thinly sliced )
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp White sugar
• 1 tbsp Sesame seed optional ( for garnish )
• 1 tsp Fresh ginger ( grated )

Instructions

1. Seaweed rehydration

   Soak the wakame seaweed in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. They should double in size and become soft. Squeeze them firmly with your hands to remove all the water.

2. Vegetable preparation

   Tear the lettuce by hand into bite-sized pieces. Slice the cucumber into very thin rounds. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Thinly slice the onion and rinse it in cold water to remove bitterness.

3. Wafu sauce emulsion

   In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the rice vinegar. Add the soy sauce and grated ginger, then pour in the rapeseed oil and sesame oil while whisking. The sauce should be homogeneous and slightly coating.

4. Final assembly

   Arrange the vegetables and seaweed in a dish. Drizzle with the dressing at the last moment so the lettuce stays crunchy. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Chef's tips

• Rinse the sliced onion in ice water for 5 minutes to remove its sharpness while keeping it crunchy.
• Do not mix the salad in advance; the acidity and salt in the dressing will 'cook' the lettuce and make it soggy.

Storage

The dressing keeps for 1 week in the fridge. Once seasoned, the salad must be eaten immediately.