Serves 4
This sweet and sour salad not only makes for a colorful addition to your table, but it’s also wonderfully fresh, crunchy, and spicy. It’s perfect for lunch in spring or late summer, or as a side dish for a more substantial meal.
1.75 ounces (50 g) fresh sea lettuce, rinsed and dabbed dry
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 carrots, peeled
1 large beet, peeled
1 fennel bulb, outer layer removed
1 chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Dressing
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
Juice of ½ lime
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tear the sea lettuce into pieces and sprinkle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bake for about 15 minutes, until crispy. Keep a close eye on the leaves, as they can burn suddenly.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Using a mandoline or julienne peeler, julienne the carrots, beet, and fennel. Combine the vegetables in a bowl and add the chile pepper and cilantro.
3. To make the dressing, place the horseradish in a small bowl and stir in the lime juice and maple syrup. While stirring, add the olive oil until you have a nice smooth mixture.
4. Stir the dressing into the vegetables, season with some salt and pepper, and serve with the warm, crispy sea lettuce.
Serves 4
Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring with oven-roasted winter squash, caramelized red onion, and lemon slices with a creamy sea spaghetti and fresh, zesty pesto combined in a beautiful salad. Serve with warm slices of sourdough baguette and a glass of good wine.
Salad
1 kabocha or Hokkaido squash, seeds removed, sliced or diced
1 large red onion, sliced
½ lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Olive oil for roasting vegetables
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ounce (30 g) dried sea spaghetti
3¾ cups (75 g) arugula, rinsed and dabbed dry
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, optional
Pesto
¼ cup (30 g) pumpkin seeds
3 cups (75 g) arugula, rinsed and dabbed dry
1⅓ cups (35 g) fresh basil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon juice, to taste
Fine sea salt, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the squash with the onion, lemon, and rosemary and sprinkle generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the pumpkin pieces), until brown and crispy.
2. Prepare the sea spaghetti according to the directions on the package.
3. To make the pesto, toast the pumpkin seeds in a skillet until golden brown. In a food processor, combine the arugula with the pumpkin seeds, basil, and nutritional yeast. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Pour in the olive oil and blend. The pesto will be chunky. Season with lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
4. When the squash has become crispy and tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Combine with the sea spaghetti.
5. Place the arugula in a large bowl and arrange the pumpkin and sea spaghetti on top. Garnish with some nutritional yeast, if desired, and serve with arugula pesto.
Serves 4
A luxurious and creamy potato salad, enriched with sweet and briny dulse, this is perfect for a barbecue or to complement a summer picnic. Serve the potato salad with fresh greens. We like to include radish leaves, extra radish pieces, sliced avocado, and some juice and zest of a lemon.
0.1 ounce (3 g) dried dulse or 1 ounce (30 g) fresh dulse
3 large potatoes, peeled and grated
Olive oil for baking
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons mirin
Pinch of wasabi paste
3 radishes, quartered
1 chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 heaping teaspoon capers, drained and halved
1 heaping teaspoon dried dill or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1. If you’re using fresh dulse, rinse thoroughly to get rid of the brine. Pat dry and chop finely.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully dab dry the grated potato. Coat the potato with some olive oil and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, mirin, and wasabi and mix well. Stir in the potatoes, dulse, radishes, chile, capers, and dill.
Serves 4
This is actually a Buddha Bowl: a generously filled bowl with lots of roasted or raw vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, often topped off with lettuce, brussels sprouts, avocado, and a rich dressing. When overflowing, this salad resembles Buddha’s round belly, hence the name. What’s great about this salad is that you can add anything you like, so indulge and create your own Healthy & Happy Bowl!
3 large carrots, sliced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 ounces (150 g) brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, halved
One 15-ounce (425 g) can of chickpeas, drained and dried
Olive oil for roasting vegetables
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon za’atar (optional)
Wakame
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin
3 ounces (80 g) fresh wakame, rinsed, dried, and chopped, or 0.3 ounce (8 g) dried wakame, soaked
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Extras
3 cups (75 g) arugula, rinsed and dried
1 cup (150 g) quinoa or buckwheat groats
2 small avocados, sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Everything Goes ’Weed Mix
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine the carrots, sweet potatoes, sprouts, and chickpeas. Stir in enough olive oil to lightly coat all the vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the herbs and spices. Arrange on the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are golden brown and crispy.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin. Stir well and then add the wakame. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Set aside for at least 10 minutes so the various flavors can blend. Stir briefly before serving.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa or buckwheat according to instructions on the packaging. Allow to rest in the pot, covered with a lid until ready to serve.
4. Once the vegetables and chickpeas are tender, remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Arrange a handful of arugula in each of four bowls. Add the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and the quinoa or buckwheat. Garnish with some avocado slices and a scoop of wakame. Sprinkle with lemon juice and finish off with some Everything Goes ’Weed Mix.
Serves 4
Salads are delicious not only in the spring and summer, but they can also serve as a valuable source of energy in the winter, as this salad proves. Raw, massaged kale combined with protein-rich buckwheat and a wintery apple provide extra vitamin C; finished with parsley, watercress, and seaweed flakes, this is an essential salad for winter.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
9 ounces (250 g) kale, rinsed and sliced
1 ounce (30 g) fresh dulse or 0.1 ounce (3 g) dried dulse, soaked and dried
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
¾ cup (125 g) buckwheat groats
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Caramelized apple
1 small apple
Olive oil or coconut oil for sautéing
Seaweed topping
½ cup (70 g) shelled pistachios, unsalted (or almonds)
Pinch of Danish smoked salt
1 tablespoon dulse flakes
1 tablespoon sea lettuce flakes
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Extras
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Watercress, for garnish
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
2. Put the kale in a large bowl and massage the leaves for 5 to 10 minutes until they are tender. Mix with the extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest and juice to taste.
3. Thoroughly rinse the dulse and make sure to remove all the brine. Pat dry and chop finely.
4. Following directions on the package, boil the buckwheat until al dente. Drain, place back in the pan, and combine with the kale, onion, garlic, and dulse and season with some salt and pepper. Partly cover the pan with a lid and let rest.
5. To make the caramelized apple, halve, core, and thinly slice the apple. Heat a small splash of olive oil in a skillet and sauté the slices on each side until golden.
6. To make the seaweed topping, toast the pistachios in a skillet. Combine the pistachios with the Danish smoked salt, dulse, sea lettuce, and nutritional yeast.
7. To assemble the salad, combine the kale and buckwheat mixture with the apple slices and seaweed topping, and garnish with the fresh parsley and watercress.
Serves 4
This green salad with sea pesto is perfect for those balmy summer evenings: It’s light and fresh. It also makes for a splendid lunch on the go or side dish for a summer picnic or barbecue. You will need a mandoline, julienne peeler, or spiralizer to cut the zucchini into nice long spaghettilike strings. If you’re making this dish during the summer, go for summer purslane. It’s rich in vitamin E and is the biggest source of omega-3 fatty acids of all leafy vegetables. Another great option is broccoli rabe, which will guarantee you get a healthy dose of vitamin C.
2 small baby zucchinis (as young as possible)
1½ cups (70 g) purslane or broccoli rabe, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup Pesto from the Sea
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Rinse the zucchini and grate or slice them into spaghettilike strings.
2. Mix the zucchini strings with the purslane, olive oil, and lemon juice. Spoon in the pesto, making sure the zucchini is thoroughly coated. Season with the pepper.
Serves 4
Cauliflower rice! If you’ve never heard of it, a taste of this salad will be a delight! What makes cauliflower rice so great? First of all, you’re eating an entire plate of vegetables without even thinking about it. Secondly, cauliflower rice is a great gluten-free substitute in all kinds of recipes that normally require rice or pasta. Thirdly, pairing it with sea aster creates a match made in heaven.
1 small cauliflower, rinsed and chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup (60 g) pumpkin seeds
Olive oil for sautéing
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3.5 ounces (100 g) sea aster, rinsed and dried
Watercress, for garnish
1. In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower to a ricelike consistency. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a hot skillet, stirring constantly until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the sea aster and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.
4. Mix the cauliflower rice with the pumpkin seeds and sea aster. Garnish with watercress.
MARK KULSDOM is a cultural historian, documentary filmmaker, and cofounder (with Lisette Kreischer, coauthor of this book) of the Dutch Weed Burger (DWB).
What is the Dutch Weed Burger?
It’s a 100 percent plant-based burger that uses kombu as a vital part of its flavor. The patty is paired with a crunchy bun enriched with chlorella, plus vegan mayo made with sea lettuce. The DWB exemplifies the many possibilities of plant-based cuisine! Seaweed is tremendously healthy, rich in essential nutrients, and provides high-quality proteins. But the taste of seaweed can be a challenge for some people—many of us aren’t accustomed to eating it. The DWB subtly incorporates seaweed into a soy-based patty. Especially in its “home” territory, the Netherlands, the combination of Dutch and weed turned out to be golden. It has a rebellious ring to it, a free-spiritedness—people like to identify with it, vegan or not.
Can you describe some of the challenges of using seaweed?
There are technological challenges for large-scale cultivation of seaweed, which I think will be met. There’s also a lack of understanding about how seaweed protects coral reefs. Also keep in mind that cultivating seaweed requires neither freshwater nor farmland. Twenty years from now we’ll need to know how to purify water and bring vital minerals that were washed away back into the food chain. All this while integrating seaweed into our daily diet. I’m positive and I believe that we can really do this.
So what will it take to bring seaweed to the market?
To begin with, it’s important for people to get used to the flavor. Then we have to spark curiosity. That is precisely what we’re doing with the DWB. We offer something new, something that intrigues people. We often see this at the pop-up stands we operate at music and other festivals. A die-hard meat eater walks by, reads our sign, the dutch weed burger, and becomes curious. We invite people to go on a culinary adventure, and make sure not to give them the impression that our burger is an alternative, a second choice. And we’re succeeding! The DWB is now being sold in eateries across the Netherlands and increasingly at eateries across Europe. Seaweed has a certain mystique. People are willing to give it a try. The fact that it grows in water fascinates: It’s new, healthy, and from the ocean.
How do you like your seaweed?
Freshly harvested and used in a DWB, of course. I eat three of them a week!
