Wakame Salad with Tofu

Wakame, a type of seaweed, must first be soaked briefly in cold water before using. Drain it thoroughly before adding it to other ingredients.

Photo: Peter Chou

By Linda Melone

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes plus refrigeration (2 to 3 hours)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/4 cup wakame, soaked in cold water 5 minutes, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, freshly grated
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 5 oz medium firmness tofu, cut into bite-size cubes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook rice according to package directions; add carrot during last 5 minutes of cooking and mix.
2. Meanwhile, soak mushrooms in a bowl with enough warm water to cover and let stand 20 minutes; drain and chop.
3. Transfer rice and carrots to a large mixing bowl. Add mushrooms, wakame and pepper and combine well.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, soy sauce, ginger and oil; pour over rice mixture and toss to combine. Carefully stir in tofu. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours for best flavor; can be kept in fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrients per serving (1 cup wakame salad): Calories: 130, Total Fat: 3.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Omega-3s: 10 mg, Omega 6s: 180 mg, Carbs: 19 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 6 g, Sodium: 400 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

 Nutritional Bonus: Munch on our wakame, rice and tofu salad for a boost to your body’s magnesium supply, a mineral that is getting a lot of attention for its possible benefits to manage hypertension