What Are Kelp Noodles? Plus, Tasty Vegan Recipe Concepts

When most individuals consider seafood, the primary photographs that spring to thoughts are probably of animals, like lobsters, fish, or shrimp, for instance. However truly, seafood doesn’t must contain sea creatures in any respect. Our oceans are additionally dwelling to nutritious greens, one in every of which is kelp, a sort of lengthy, brown seaweed. 

Kelp is extremely versatile; it may be eaten uncooked, roasted, pickled, or steamed in numerous dishes, however one of the common methods to eat it’s in noodle kind. Right here’s what you might want to learn about kelp noodles, from what they’re to how they style to find out how to prepare dinner with them—plus, a number of scrumptious vegan recipe concepts.

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What are kelp noodles?

Kelp noodles have been first developed in Korea, the place they’re referred to as cheon sa chae. Whereas they form of seem like glass noodles (also referred to as cellophane noodles) as a result of they’re usually semi-transparent in look, they’re processed fully in another way. 

Glass noodles are made with starch and water, however kelp noodles are made with dried, peeled, and floor strips of kelp. These are then combined with water and sodium alginate—a sort of salt naturally current within the cell partitions of kelp. The result’s a flexible, gluten-free, and easy noodle that can be utilized in stir-fries, salads, curries, and extra. 

Do kelp noodles style fishy?

Kelp naturally grows on the world’s coastlines, and in its least processed kind, it does style a bit of “fishy” (and that is smart as a result of it has lived and grown in the identical surroundings as fish). However, for those who’re not a fan of fishy flavors, don’t be postpone by kelp noodles. It is because, when it’s processed into noodle kind, kelp isn’t actually fishy in any respect. In actual fact, kelp noodles even have an extremely gentle, impartial style, and they’re extra about including texture to a dish somewhat than boosting its taste profile. Though that mentioned, they’re superb at absorbing flavors from the opposite components you prepare dinner them with. 

Are kelp noodles good for you?

Whereas kelp noodles are excessive in sodium alginate (which has little or no dietary worth), they’re nonetheless a supply of vitamins, like calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamin Ok. Plus, they comprise antioxidants, they’re low in energy, they usually’re additionally a very good supply of dietary fiber. 

The way to prepare dinner with kelp noodles

There are lots of methods to arrange kelp noodles. In actual fact, if you would like a really low-effort dish, you don’t even must prepare dinner them in any respect, as they are often safely consumed uncooked. However for those who want your meals sizzling, then top-of-the-line methods to prepare dinner kelp noodles is by stir-frying them, however you may as well add them to broths. 

Wish to give kelp noodles a strive, however unsure the place to start out? You’ve come to the suitable place. We’ve compiled a few of our favourite vegan kelp noodle recipes under.

Vegan recipes with kelp noodles

Sepsenahki Aahkhu

1 Vegan Pesto Kelp Noodles

Pasta and pesto is a tried, examined, and much-loved mixture. However for those who fancy giving this devoted dish an improve, swap Italian pasta for easy, silky kelp noodles, which can soak up the flavors of home made pesto fantastically. For additional tangy, salty taste, combine in a beneficiant serving to of capers. 
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The Plant Collective

2 Kelp Noodle Lo Mein

Developed in China, lo mein is normally made with tossed egg noodles. However if you wish to swap in a vegan, gluten-free choice, kelp noodles make an awesome different. This dish, which you’ll be able to pack with all of your favourite stir-fried greens, is fast to make, simply as tasty as takeout, and nutritious.
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The Spruce Eats

3 Spicy Tahini Kelp Noodles

Because of their gentle, impartial style, kelp noodles are arguably at their finest once they’re paired with a daring, flavorful sauce. This recipe requires a mixture of creamy, thick tahini, which is combined along with peanut butter, ginger, and chili garlic for an ultra-satisfying midweek meal with simply the correct quantity of kick.
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Glue & Glitter

4 Sesame-Shiitake Kelp Noodles

In case you’ve run out of distinctive and attractive lunch concepts, this recipe for sesame-shiitake kelp noodles, topped with a creamy peanut sauce, is nicely value a strive. The tasty dish, which additionally options succulent sauteed mushrooms, comes collectively in round 20 minutes.
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Easy Vegan Weblog

5 Kelp Noodle Salad

Arguably, salad has an unfair repute for being boring. However this recipe proves it’s something however. Not solely is it bursting with taste, however it’s tremendous fast to throw collectively (critically, you simply want a spare 10 minutes) and straightforward, too. You don’t even have to fry the noodles, simply rinse and soak in sizzling water with baking soda and lemon juice. Or for those who want, you may add them in completely uncooked.
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Liv Kaplan

6 Kelp Noodle Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one in every of Thai delicacies’s most-loved dishes. Whereas it’s normally made with rice noodles, you may simply swap these out for kelp for those who want. It’s additionally sometimes topped with peanuts, however for those who fancy a change, this dish suggests swapping these out for pili nuts (that are one other sort of nutrient-packed tree nut).
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The All Pure Vegan

7 Pink Curry Peanut Kelp Noodle Salad

Aromatic, flavorful Thai purple curry additionally pairs fantastically with kelp noodles. On this recipe, the noodles and greens (like broccoli and bell pepper) are left uncooked, earlier than they’re dressed with purple curry paste, miso, spices, and peanut butter, and topped with an additional serving of chopped peanuts. 
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