These surprisingly delicious vegan seaweed recipes are not only tasty, but healthy AF!
By Lora O’Brien
When it comes to eating seaweed based dishes, I will admit, I was more than a little dubious at first. I mean, I’ve been to the seaside a lot. I’ve seen the seaweed on the shore, and there’s no way I ever looked at the slimy grass-like stuff under the water and thought: ‘Mmm, lunch!”
But then two things happened: I tried vegan sushi. And it was good. And someone offered me a roasted seaweed snack, and I swear, that stuff is damn tasty! Like, potato chip level tasty!
But I digress.
Apart from being surprisingly yum, there are loads of health benefits from seaweed based foods. But not just seaweed – which is kinda grassy. Let’s include here algae, too, which is more mossy than grassy. But first, a few tips.
Tips on cooking with seaweed and algae
- Make sure the seaweed you buy is fresh. It can be frozen or pickled, just make sure it doesn’t contain white parts, which indicate the seaweed is too old.
- Make sure you rinse seaweed with a bit of salt water. This prevents it from getting too slimy!
- Don’t harvest seaweed or algae yourself. Leave the harvesting to people who know what they’re doing. Don’t eat loose seaweed found on the beach.
What kinds of seaweed and algae are there?
- Chlorella and Spirulina: Deep green algae superfoods that have been popular for some time now. These come with many health benefits, such as protein, vitamin B12 and iron. Perfect for maintaining a healthy brain and keeping our digestive system, heart, lungs and liver healthy.
- Nori: A papery, dry form of seaweed used in sushi.
- Kelp: Beneficial for our thyroid due to high iodine levels. Also, kelp has an incredibly low calorie count, and will keep you fuller for longer than starch based foods.
- Dulse: Dulse doesn’t look like much, but it’s packed with minerals that work to keep bones strong and healthy. It’s also great for lowering blood pressure. Perfect for adding saltiness to dishes or sprinkling over a salad for a little extra flavor. It’s also used a lot in soups, stews and dressings.
- Kombu: Used in savory sauces, stocks and soup recipes, it has a briny, almost mushroom-like taste. Kombu can increase digestion whilst also preventing weight gain due to the pigment fucoxanthin, which helps metabolize fats into energy.
- Wakame: Wakame will spike your dishes with a briny taste. It’s rich in protein, magnesium, chlorophyll, iron, calcium and zinc.
See? There are loads of easy ways to get goodness from the sea into your diet! And now let’s get to the vegan seaweed (and algae) recipes….
Surprisingly Delicious Vegan Seaweed Recipes
1. Spirulina Lemonade
This tasty drink is one of the easiest vegan algae recipes to make, and one of the healthiest! Granted, this may look like swamp water, but it most definitely won’t taste like it. Lemon is the perfect flavour to pair with spirulina. It definitely dominates, and the stevia adds a touch of sweetness. Basically, this is just lemonade with extra health rewards!
Get the recipe here.
2. Spirulina Chia Pudding
How wonderful does this chia pudding look? That minty fresh colour looks so pretty, but it also means that it’s packing some serious health benefits too with thanks to the added greenness of spirulina. Once mixed with creamy bananas, almond milk and a little mint, this transforms into something that tastes as good as it looks!
Get the recipe here.
4. Spirulina Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are having a moment now, and no wonder! The deliciously creamy, sweet smoothie base is the perfect foundation for popping your favourite fruits and cereals on top. It’s basically the most nutrient dense way to start your day, and it’s one of the easiest vegan seaweed recipes to make, too. All you need is a blender!
Get the recipe here.
5. Raw Spirulina Balls
Energy balls are such a sweet little treat to have on hand when you either fancy a snack or need a boost. They’re usually made from raw ingredients, so there’s zero baking involved. And these ones feature the goodness of hemp, which is a bonus! Again, this is one of the easiest vegan seaweed recipes to make. Even kids can do it!
Get the recipe here.
6. Raw Hemp Algae Bars
I love having some form of healthy ‘treat’ on hand that won’t cause my sugar levels to rocket and then crash an hour or two later. These bars tick all the right boxes, and they get bonus points for being my favourite colour; green! They’re raw bars so no baking, and they’re made from a mixture of healthy fats from the nuts and shredded coconut.
Get the recipe here.
7. Squash & Seaweed Pancakes
If you follow my food articles, then you’ll know that basically, I can find a pancake for just about any food theme, and this one is no exception. These savory babies make for a great lunch, and there are loads of textures and flavours here, too. Stack ’em up!
Get the recipe here.
8. Sesame & Garlic Nori Chips
Put down the potato chips! Seaweed crisps are one of the easiest vegan seaweed recipes to make and are what you need when the munchies come round. Not only are they cholesterol-free and high in vitamin A, they’re pretty darn tasty, too.
Get the recipe here.
9. Seaweed Sesame Crackers
It’s always great to have a go-to cracker recipe. I used to spend a small fortune on ‘healthy’ crackers before realizing I can just as easily make them myself and be satisfied. Once made, store them in a lock tight jar or container and they will last you for a week or two. I love using them to dip into homemade hummus!
Get the recipe here.
10. Seaweed Pesto
I’m sure you’ve probably never thought about putting seaweed into pesto – but it works! This is one of those vegan seaweed recipes I have all kinds of plans for. Like, over my pasta, spread on my sandwich and even smeared across crackers. Basically, I will binge eat this deliciousness until I get sick of it. Which will be never.
Get the recipe here.
11. Avocado & ‘Weed Hummus
Obviously the ‘weed element of this hummus is of course seaweed, and it brings a refreshing change to the traditional hummus recipe. Whilst chickpeas are still the base, there’s also seaweed lettuce, lime juice, coconut milk and a whole other heap of ingredients to really make a creamy and yet distinctively different type of hummus – which we all need now and then, right?
Get the recipe here.
12. Vegan Sushi Rolls
I think most of us have tried sushi, and have therefore been eating seaweed in the form of nori. And loving it! This is one of those flexible vegan seaweed recipes, since you can really make it with whatever grains and veggies you like. You can use brown rice or quinoa for this dish.
Get the recipe here.
13. Hijiki Salad With Carrots
Hijiki seaweed and carrots are a classic Japanese combination in cooking, and it’s easy to understand why – the combination of salty seaweed and sweet carrots works really well together. This is such a great side dish, but if you prefer to make it a little more filling, you could add in some tofu, edamame beans or even some soba noodles.
Get the recipe here.
14. Brown Rice & Arame Seaweed Salad
If you’re fairly new to cooking with seaweed and a little dubious, start with an easy recipe like this. It uses arame seaweed, which is a thin, stringy and not too pungent kind of seaweed, which mixes really well with the brown rice and veggies. Tuck into this dish or serve as a side, either way – welcome to seaweed heaven!
vegan seaweed recipes
Get the recipe here.
15. Rainbow Kelp Noodle Salad
Whoa! This is one of those vegan seaweed recipes that really covers all the colors of the rainbow! And who doesn’t want to eat pretty food, knowing it’s super good for us too? Lots of crispy, raw veggies are cut and then tossed with a tangy lemon, almond and ginger concoction and then mixed with kelp noodles.
Get the recipe here.
16. Kelp Noodle Salad
I love using kelp noodles. They’re a bit strange at first, but stick with them, and you’ll fall in love with them, too. They’re especially great in this salad recipe. To make it vegan, just swap out the mayo for pureed avocado, or vegan mayo.
Get the recipe here.
17. Green Superfood Salad
This green superfood salad is packed full of vitamins and each and every mouthful will truly nourish your body. The base is made from kale and seaweed and then topped with creamy chunks of avocado, lemon, cucumber and sprinkled with sesame seeds. You could enjoy this on its own or topped with a bed of quinoa for a more filling dinner option.
Get the recipe here.
18. Seaweed & Sesame Poke Bowl
Looking for vegan seaweed recipes that really fill you up? In this dish, sashimi is replaced by seitan, and the whole bowl is topped off with fresh nori flakes.
Get the recipe here.
19. Sushi Sandwiches
In the UK, there are sandwich shops on every corner. And frankly, they’re boring. I mean, white bread and animal based fillings are probably the most tastebud-numbing combo around. So when I saw these ‘sandwiches’, my heart sang! Loads of veggies and rice, all with a nori and rice ‘bread’.
Get the recipe here.
20. Vegan Miso Soup
You would think that miso soup would easily be included in vegan seaweed recipes. But nope! It’s usually made with dashi, a form of dried tuna. But this vegan version will not disappoint! This miso soup instead relies on the subtle flavours of sauteed ginger, garlic and scallions. You can make this soup and sip it at anytime of the day, it’s so incredibly light and delicious.
Get the recipe here.
21. The Best Faux Tuna Salad Sandwich
This vegan ‘tuna’ is creamy and goes so well in a sandwich, you really won’t miss the fishiness because the dulse seaweed flakes give it a slightly fishy flavour.
Get the recipe here.
22. Spicy Seaweed Popcorn
This is the perfect vegan seaweed recipe for when those cravings come knocking. Which is usually during movie time. Which is, like, daily in my house! And do I feel guilty? Nope! This popcorn is super healthy and makes a healthy snack packed with fiber.
Get the recipe here.
23. Chocolate Superfood Matcha Mint Slice
How fancy do these mint slices look? The base of this is made up of a crust of crunchy walnuts and and bound with gooey medjool dates. The second late is a decadently rich and ever so slightly bitter chocolate ganache. A layer of minty matcha mousse is the final layer, and is split into two layers; the darker of the two contains spirulina, giving it a delicious sea green colour. But zero seaweed taste, don’t worry!
Get the recipe here.
24. Spirulina Ice Cream
I’m always happen to find recipes that are not only healthy but are super easy to make. Coconut milk gives this recipe its creamy texture, whilst agave syrup gently sweetens it and spirulina gives it not only a superfood boost, but that lovely mint colour. Top it off with a smattering of cacao nibs and you’re good to go!
Get the recipe here.
25. Raw Raspberry Mint Cheesecake
Would you ever have guessed this raw vegan cheesecake features algae? Well, it does! Along with other healthy ingredients, like raspberry and mint. That green hue? It comes from chlorella. And no, you won’t taste it at all!
Get the recipe here.
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