By Irene Hayton
Wakame is a sea vegetable that has a mild flavour. It is rich in calcium, niacin, and thiamine. After soaking wakame, the tough midrib should be removed. Wakame expands quite a bit when it is cooked (it doubles or triples in volume) so cut it into small pieces before adding it to soups, etc. To measure the dried wakame in this recipe, cut it with scissors or break it into small pieces by hand to fit it into the measuring cup. (Check out this month’s Health Tip for more information on the benefits of wakame and other sea vegetables.)
- ½ oz (14 g) dried wakame—this is equivalent to ½ cup (125 ml) dried wakame or 1½ cups (375 ml) fresh wakame
- 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 4 cups (2 L) water
- 1 thick slice of fresh ginger, about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick
- 3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1 small leek, washed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce (optional)
- 2½ teaspoons (12 ml) sea salt
- 1 pinch stevia powder
Soak the wakame in a bowl of warm water for 1 hour, then rinse it in plenty of cold water and chop it into bite-size pieces.
Rinse the chicken breast in cold water and place it in a large pot with the 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the surface. Add the ginger, garlic, shallot, leek, and wakame and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the ginger slice and garlic cloves. Add the fish sauce, sea salt, and stevia and stir well. If you don’t have fish sauce, just add more sea salt to taste. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Optional: Add 1 cup (250 ml) cooked grain, such as brown rice, barley, or kamut, at the same time that you add the final ingredients; heat through, then serve.
