Noma’s Raw Sea Vegetables and Coastal Herbs Salad
A plated composition of fresh sea lettuces, dulse, sea purslane, and pickled sea vegetables dressed with a cold dashi vinaigrette and scattered with coastal plants such as sea aster, rock samphire, and dried seaweed powder. René Redzepi developed this dish at Noma Copenhagen as part of the restaurant’s Ocean Season menus, drawing on the Nordic coastline as a pantry. The dashi vinaigrette — built from kombu and dried mushroom stock rather than traditional bonito — bridges Japanese umami technique with Scandinavian sourness to create a dressing that tastes entirely of the sea.
Ingredients (serves 4)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fresh sea lettuce (ulva) or wakame | 80 g |
| Dulse (fresh or rehydrated dried) | 40 g |
| Sea purslane | 40 g |
| Sea aster or rock samphire | 30 g |
| Pickled sea cucumbers or pickled mussels (optional) | 60 g |
| Dried seaweed powder (nori or aonori) | 1 tsp |
| Edible flowers (sea lavender or ice plant) | small handful |
| Cold-pressed rapeseed oil | to finish |
| For dashi vinaigrette | |
| Kombu (dried kelp) | 10 g |
| Dried shiitake or porcini | 5 g |
| Cold water | 500 ml |
| Rice vinegar | 3 tbsp |
| Elderflower vinegar or white wine vinegar | 1 tbsp |
| Light soy sauce | 1 tsp |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Make the dashi stock the day before: combine kombu, dried mushroom, and cold water. Leave to cold-steep in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours. Strain and reserve liquid (cold-brew dashi).
- Build the dashi vinaigrette: whisk 150 ml cold dashi with rice vinegar, elderflower vinegar, and soy sauce. Season with salt. The dressing should be light, salty, and distinctly marine. Refrigerate.
- Prepare the sea vegetables: if using dried dulse, soak in cold water 10 minutes, then drain. Rinse all fresh sea lettuces and coastal plants in cold water. Spin or pat dry very gently — these are delicate.
- Arrange the sea vegetables in a loose, natural composition on chilled plates, allowing the different textures and colours to contrast.
- Spoon the dashi vinaigrette over and around the salad rather than tossing — this preserves the structure.
- Dust with seaweed powder, place edible flowers, and finish with a few drops of cold-pressed rapeseed oil.
Notes
- Cold-brew dashi avoids bitterness that comes from heating kombu — essential for the dressing to taste clean.
- Sea purslane and rock samphire have natural salinity; taste before adding extra salt.
- If fresh coastal plants are unavailable, substitute samphire, baby spinach, and sea beans (glasswort).
- The vinaigrette keeps 3 days refrigerated; shake before use.
Dressing: Noma-Dashi-Vinaigrette