Healthy Cucumber Seaweed Salad: Easy, Refreshing & Nutritious

Seaweed is a natural source of iodine, vital for thyroid health, and helps balance the effects of goitrogenic foods like cruciferous vegetables and soy-nutritious staples we should include in our diet. Combined with crisp cucumbers and a tangy, umami-rich dressing, this Cucumber Seaweed Salad delivers flavor and function. Incorporate it into your meals for a refreshing, health-boosting addition to your routine.

Cucumber Seaweed Salad: Peeled cucumber slices with soaked wakame seaweed and dressing in two glass storage jars with chopsticks.

Adding seaweed to Asian cucumber salad transforms it into an anti-inflammatory, blood-pressure-lowering salad with no refined sugar or excessive salt! A healthier twist on traditional seaweed salad, made with nutritious, safe seaweed and a vibrant, tangy dressing.

This recipe was inspired by the Wakame Seaweed Salad on my site, as well as my Korean Cucumber Salad.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits
🥒 Substitutions
📖 How to Make Cucumber Seaweed Salad
✔️ Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🛒 Shop Nisha's Cookware and Products
🍽️ Related Recipes
🥗 Pairing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
Cucumber Seaweed Salad
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients & Health Benefits

One medium cucumber and a bowl with dried wakame.

Cucumber: Although cucumbers are not as high in antioxidants as other vegetables, their skin contains compounds that may help inhibit TOR (target of rapamycin), an enzyme linked to cell growth and often found in tumor cells. Plant-based diets, especially those rich in cruciferous vegetables, naturally suppress TOR activation while providing inhibitors in foods like broccoli, green tea, soy, turmeric, grapes, onions, berries, mangoes, and cucumber skin. Including cucumbers with their skin in your meals is a simple, flavorful way to support this healthful process.
Wakame seaweed: The safest seaweed with a healthful dose of iodine.

For the Seaweed Salad Dressing:

Mellow miso (white miso) - A healthier way to add a salty umami flavor without raising blood pressure like regular salt does.
Date syrup - Dates can help lower blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase beneficial HDL cholesterol.
Sesame seeds - Shown to improve lipid profile and oxidative stress.
Coconut aminos or tamari
Lime juice
Rice vinegar
Garlic
Red chili pepper

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🥒 Substitutions

Wakame - Substitute with an additional cucumber for an Asian cucumber salad or make my Korean Cucumber Salad instead.
Cucumber - Use ⅓ cup wakame for an Asian seaweed salad or make my Wakame Seaweed Salad on this site.
Red chili pepper - omit for nonspicy
Tamari - use soy sauce or coconut aminos instead
Dressing - for a creamier Cucumber Seaweed Salad, use my Asian Tahini Dressing instead

For more healthy salads, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.

📖 How to Make Cucumber Seaweed Salad

This is an overview. The full recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Shaved cucumber in a glass jar with a vegetable peeler.

Prepare the cucumber: Slice the cucumber lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler. Layer one-fourth of the strips in a fine-mesh sieve and salt generously. Add another layer, salt again, and repeat until all the cucumber is salted. Let the cucumber drain for 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Pat the strips dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Wakame soaking in water in a glass bowl.

Prepare the seaweed: Soak the seaweed in warm water for 5 to 7 minutes or until just tender.

Sesame seeds, miso, red chili pepper, garlic, coconut aminos, and date syrup in a glass owl with a whisk.

Make the dressing: Mix the lime juice, red chili pepper, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, date syrup, dissolved miso, garlic, sesame seeds, and toasted sesame oil (if using) in a medium bowl. Add water as needed until the desired flavor.

Soaked and draining wakame in a mesh sieve.

Drain the seaweed and rinse it well. Squeeze out the excess water and chop it into about 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Peeled cucumber slices and wakame seaweed in two glass storage containers.

Combine: Transfer the cucumber, seaweed, and dressing to a large bowl, tossing well to evenly coat the seaweed and cucumber with the dressing. Alternatively, divide one-third of the cucumber, seaweed, and dressing into three meal-prep salad jars

Cucumber Seaweed Salad: Peeled cucumber slices with soaked wakame seaweed and dressing in a glass jar with chopsticks.

Meal-prep Cucumber Salad Jars are convenient, ready-to-go healthy side salads.

✔️ Expert Tips

Use a quality peeler to shave the cucumber into thin strips, or slice it thinly into rounds instead.
Salt the sliced cucumbers and let them drain in a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess water, then rinse and pat them dry. This ensures the dressing and flavors remain concentrated.
Rinse the soaked and drained seaweed thoroughly to eliminate any fishy flavors.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What Types of Seaweed are Safe to Eat?

While seaweed can be an excellent source of iodine, not all types are equally safe to consume regularly due to variations in iodine content and potential contaminants.
Nori: This type of seaweed, commonly used in sushi, is considered safe. It contains a moderate amount of iodine and doesn't have the high levels of contaminants found in some other seaweeds. Nori is an excellent choice for regular consumption.
Wakame: Wakame is generally safe. It has a moderate iodine content and provides other beneficial nutrients without the risk of excessive iodine intake or heavy metal contamination.
Kombu/Kelp: Be cautious with kombu and kelp due to their extremely high iodine content. Regular consumption can lead to excessive iodine intake, which may negatively affect thyroid function. Kelp is also more likely to contain heavy metals such as arsenic, so it's better to limit its use.
Hijiki: I advise against consuming hijiki due to its high levels of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen. This type of seaweed should be avoided to prevent potential health risks.

What are the health benefits of iodine?

Iodine supports thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism and energy. Seaweed is an excellent iodine source, especially for plant-based diets. While cruciferous veggies like kale can interfere with iodine uptake, cooking reduces their goitrogen content. Pairing iodine-rich foods like seaweed ensures thyroid health without sacrificing the benefits of these veggies.