Kwanghi’s Wakame Salad Prawn Cocktail

Thu, 4 December 2025

Kwanghi’s Wakame Salad Prawn Cocktail – A Simple Christmas Day Fusion Starter

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300g cooked prawns, chilled
• 200g store-bought wakame seaweed salad
• 1 small carrot (about 80g), julienned
• ½ cucumber (about 120g), deseeded and thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• A hint of wasabi 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 hint of East by Kwanghi black garlic peanut rayu (optional for heat and depth) (available in Tesco's)
• Little gem lettuce leaves (for serving)

Method

1. Prep the veg:

Julienne the carrot. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scrape out the seeds, then slice into thin matchsticks. Keep everything as light and crisp as possible.

2. Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, mix the Japanese mayo with the lemon juice, soy sauce, and the rayu if using. It should be creamy with a fresh citrus lift.

3. Combine the base:

In a larger bowl, gently toss the wakame salad with the carrot and cucumber.

4. Add the prawns:

Fold the prawns through the dressed wakame mix, keeping them whole and chilled.

5. To serve:

Spoon the mixture into little gem cups or chilled cocktail glasses. Finish with a small extra drizzle of Japanese mayo or rayu on top.

Notes

• Mention how the wakame brings instant umami and freshness with zero prep.

• The Japanese mayo ties the whole thing together, giving that festive richness but lighter than classic Marie Rose.

• Easy twist for Christmas starters when you don’t want anything heavy before the main. Also a nice twist to a hit to Japanese flavours.