Dried Laver Seaweed Soup Recipes: Quick, Easy, and Nutritious 紫菜汤

Dried laver seaweed soup 紫菜汤 (zi cai tang) is one of my favourite homemade soups. It’s quick, budget-friendly, and packed with nutrition. I usually pair it with eggs, but it goes well with chicken, pork, tofu, tomato and more.

What is Dried Laver Seaweed?

Dried laver seaweed is a type of red algae, widely used in North Asian cuisine. You’ll find it as:

• Kim in Korea
• Nori 海苔 (hai tai) in Japan
• 紫菜 (zi cai) in China – which literally means “purple vegetable” in Mandarin.

According to published research, laver is rich in:

• Essential amino acids such as methionine, threonine, and tryptophan
• Minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and calcium
• Fiber, and protein

It’s nutritious, versatile, and surprisingly affordable.

Where to Buy

Look for dried laver discs in the dried food section of Asian supermarkets. They’re typically sold in round sheets. Or buy online: dried laver for soup (Amazon affiliate link). Here’s a video showing how they’re made — no subtitles, but the visuals are clear enough to follow.

The algae are farmed and not wild. I didn’t know how hard it is to harvest, clean and dry laver.

Recipes

Dried Laver Seaweed and Egg Soup

This is my go-to when I need a quick, nourishing meal. Makes one medium bowl — perfect for one, or as a side for 2–3.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried laver seaweed
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups soup stock (use a vegetable stock to make a vegetarian version)
• 2 tablespoon chopped spring onions
• Salt, pepper and sesame seed oil to taste

Directions

1. Soak the dried laver seaweed in a bowl of hot water. This rehydrates the seaweed. Let it stand for a while and any sand or dirt will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
2. Remove and drain the seaweed.
3. Beat the eggs in a bowl.
4. Bring the soup stock to a boil in a soup pot.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Lower the heat and pour the beaten egg.
7. Stir gently to break the egg “flowers”.
8. Place the seaweed into a serving bowl.
9. Carefully pour the egg soup over the seaweed into the bowl.
10. Garnish with chopped spring onions and pepper.
11. Drizzle some sesame seed oil.
12. Serve.

Watch the technique here (by ChineseHealthyCook)

Dried Laver Seaweed and Chicken Soup

My mother used to make this soup for dinner – simple and comforting.

Ingredients

• 1 disc sheet of dried seaweed
• 100g chicken, thinly sliced or ground
• 1 litre chicken soup stock
• Salt and pepper
• Dash of sesame seed oil
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Directions

1. Soak the dried seaweed in warm water, remove and drain.
2. Beat the eggs.
3. Bring the soup stock to a boil and add the chicken.
4. Cook the chicken for a few minutes, add the salt to taste.
5. Place the seaweed in the serving bowl.
6. Pour the chicken and soup into serving bowl.
7. Garnish with chopped spring onion, pepper and sesame seed oil.
8. Serve.

Cantonese Style Pork & Laver Soup

This version uses thinly sliced pork and napa cabbage. Watch the video by Made with Lau for a step-by-step guide.

Dried Laver Seaweed and Tofu Soup

Soft tofu and cucumber make this a humble, refreshing soup.

Ingredients

• 100g Chinese soft tofu (Amazon affiliate link)
• 20g dried laver seaweed
• 1 egg
• 15g cucumber
• 2 cups soup stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped spring onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of sesame seed oil

Directions

1. Cut the tofu into thin slices.
2. Cut the cucumber into thin slices.
3. Soak dried laver seaweed in warm water, drain for use.
4. Beat the egg.
5. Bring the soup stock to a boil in a pot.
6. Add the tofu and cook for about 3 minutes.
7. Add the cucumber slices and seaweed, stir to break up the seaweed.
8. Add the salt to taste.
9. Pour the beaten egg and stir to break up the egg.
10. When the egg is done, pour into serving bowl.
11. Garnish with chopped spring onion and sesame seed oil.

Shortcut: Ready-to-eat Laver Soup Packets

Pre-packed soup packets offer a fuss-free way to try laver seaweed soup – just pour hot water over the content. I’ll get these for the office. Available at Shopee Singapore (affiliate link)

Laver vs Nori Sheets

Ever wondered what makes them different? This Chinese documentary shows how laver is farmed and processed into nori sheets. Fascinating stuff! Try some roasted nori sheets with seasonings and oil [Amazon affiliate link].

Did you try any of these recipes? I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave me a comment below. Happy cooking!