This seaweed salad with cabbage is vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-free, is loaded with nutrients, and is really light and delicious for a meal or side.

This seaweed salad recipe comes from Debbie Adler’s new book, Sweet, Savory & Free: Insanely Delicious Plant-Based Recipes Without Any Of The Top 8 Food Allergens.

I was honored to blurb this book. It is an incredible resource for any family living with food allergies or wanting to eat healthy. Debbie makes plant-based and allergy-free living delicious and fun with her super tasty and nutritious recipes.

Debbie opens the book with her “Just Haves” – herbs and spices, condiments, seeds, grains, flours, powder, sweeteners, and the canned and packaged goods, and all of the necessary kitchen tools that make allergy-free living easy.

Then, she divides the recipes into homemade staples, morning munchies, soup, meals in muffin tins and ramekins, pizza and pasta, mains, sides, breads, and sweets.

Some of my favorite recipes include: sriracha, strawberry shortcake pancakes. quinoa & kale breakfast burritos, matzo ball soup, creamy celery root soup, curried pumpkin soup, eggplant parmezan florentine, Asian fusion noodle kugel, spaghetti piccata twirls, cannellini cupcakes with whipped parsnip, veggie pad thai, cajun wild mushroom risotto, paella, egg rolls, spanakopita enchiladas, spaghetti squash chow mein, palak paneer, latkes, super crunchy seed crackers, banana java date bread, caramelized onion naan, NYC deli-style flatbread, tiramisu cupcakes, chocolate rosemary doughnuts, and this sea vegetable and cabbage slaw.

Most people turn up their noses when I talk about sea vegetables. But, these foods grown in marine and fresh waters are powerful prebiotic foods for gut health, and are some of the most mineral-rich alkalizing foods on offer. Sea veggies contain anti- inflammatory and antioxidant agents, and promote cell integrity and boost immunity. Seaweeds also cleanse heavy metals and environmental wastes from the body.

There are thousands of sea veggies. But, the most readily available are nori, hijiki, wakame, arame, dulse, kombu, and kelp. Most sea veggies need to be soaked to rehydrate them, and a little goes a long way. I used a mixture or arame, wakame, and hijiki to make this salad, and the results were fabulous.

Sea veggies can taste like a big old gulp of murky sea water. The secret is tossing them with delicious citrus dressings and other light land veggies such as cabbage, lettuce, leafy greens, and carrots.

Debbie’s simple light dressing and combo of veggies is delightful, and such a pleasant way to get your quota of sea vegetables. As you can see from the image, this salad is also really elegant and beautiful.

This salad is going on my holiday table this year, and I’m really excited to encourage my family and friends to eat more sea vegetables.

Get your copy of Sweet, Savory & Free, and learn more about Debbie Adler.