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This quinoa edamame salad recipe is made with colourful, crunchy vegetables like cucumber, celery, carrots, and purple cabbage. Tossed in an Asian-inspired miso sesame ginger dressing, this healthy salad recipe is so flavourful and PACKED with plant-based protein!

Quinoa edamame salad in a large serving bowl.

This asian edamame salad is filled with the most colourful rainbow of vegetables and packed with SO much flavour thanks to one of my favourite miso sesame and ginger dressings. It reminds me of those store-bought salads, but made from the comfort of your own home!

This recipe is completely plant-based and packed with both protein, fiber, micronutrients, and antioxidants. As a dietitian, I’m thrilled to share that both edamame and quinoa are nutrition powerhouses – I outline their nutrition benefits below if you’re interested in learning more.

Thanks to its protein, fiber, and healthy fat content, this salad is very filling and satisfying. You can enjoy it as a main meal and it’s great as a make-ahead option (packed lunch idea, anyone?)

PS. If you like the flavours of this salad dressing, I also use it with my popular Warm Mushroom Salad! It’s another vegan salad recipe that you may love 🙂

Recipe ingredients in small bowls.

What is this edamame salad made of?

  1. Edamame: Edamame are whole, immature soybeans that have a distinct bright green colour. They are commonly found in the frozen section of your grocery store (with the rest of the frozen vegetables). Make sure you purchase shelled edamame, rather than the edamame in its pods!
  2. Quinoa: Quinoa is a gluten-free whole grain that works wonderfully in salads. If you’d like to swap it for another grain, this salad would certainly work with something like wild rice or farro. If you have 2 cups of pre-cooked/leftover quinoa on hand, this is a great use for it!
  3. Carrots: I purchased pre-shredded carrots for this recipe, which are commonly found in the produce aisle with the other varieties of carrots. It helps to make prep a little faster and less messy, but you are welcome to shred your own carrots in a food processor or box grater. Otherwise, you could also chop them up into small pieces instead of shredding.
  4. Cucumber: Feel free to use a long English cucumber or the smaller Persian cucumbers. When purchasing, I always recommend feeling the ends of the cucumber to make sure they’re firm and not mushy (a sign that they are too ripe/soft)!
  5. Celery: We only need 1 cup of diced celery for this recipe, so you are welcome to purchase a whole bunch OR individual stalks (2-3 should be adequate!) When shopping, try to find a bunch of celery that is looking quite “fresh” – not too many browned spots or broken stalks. Dirt is ok and natural – just be sure to give it a good rinse.
  6. Red bell pepper: Feel free to use an orange or yellow bell pepper instead, if desired.
  7. Purple cabbage: Purple cabbage goes great with this salad and makes it so colourful. With that said, if you do not enjoy or digest cabbage well, feel free to swap it with something like chopped kale (those pre-cut tuscan kale varieties would be great here).
  8. Green onion (scallions): We’ll only be using the green tops here, for added flavour. TIP: when you’re done dicing the tops, place those white bulbs in a glass filled with water and place the glass near a window – you will be shocked at how quickly the green tops grow back. I always do this and I love having extra green onion on hand!
  9. Peanuts or cashews: I like to use raw, unsalted varieties but you are welcome to use roasted ones as well. Feel free to choose one or the other nut, or a mix of both. For a nut-free option, you may leave these out or replace with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower. The added crunchy texture works wonderfully!
  10. My homemade miso sesame ginger dressing, which contains olive oil, toasted sesame oil rice vinegar, miso paste, garlic powder, and ground ginger!

Step-by-step: how to make edamame salad

Overhead photo of quinoa breakfast porridge with raisins in a saucepan.

If you don’t have pre-cooked quinoa on hand, start by cooking the quinoa so that it’s done once you’re finished chopping up all the veggies! If you need help, I’ve got a post all about cooking quinoa HERE.

Miso dressing whisked together in a bowl.

Next, make the miso salad dressing by whisking the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Chopped vegetables for salad.

Then, chop up all the veggies into small pieces as shown above! To prep the edamame, follow the packaging directions (the quickest way is usually thawing in the microwave with a splash of water).

Quinoa edamame salad before tossing in dressing.

Add all the chopped veggies along with the cooked quinoa, edamame, and peanut to a large mixing bowl.

Pouring miso dressing on top of salad.

Pour the miso salad dressing over top…

Tossing edamame salad in dressing.

…and toss together to combine!

Edamame Nutrition Benefits

Edamame are whole, immature soybeans that are easily recognized by their bright green colour. They taste delicious and are INCREDIBLY nutritious.

One cup of edamame provides:

  • 17 grams of plant-based protein
  • 8 grams of fiber (about 32% of your daily needs)

You will also find the following micronutrients in one cup of edamame:

  • folate – 115% of the daily value (DV)
  • vitamin K – 56% of the DV
  • copper – 27% of the DV
  • phosphorus – 26% of the DV
  • magnesium – 25% of the DV
  • iron – 20% of the DV
  • thiamine – 20% of the DV
  • potassium – 19% of the DV
  • vitamin C – 15% of the DV
  • calcium – 10% of the DV
  • vitamin B6 – 10% of the DV

Impressive, right?!

Quinoa Nutrition Benefits

Quinoa is a complete protein, providing 8 grams in one cup of cooked quinoa.

It’s also a good source of dietary fiber, with 5 grams in one cup.

From a micronutrient standpoint, one cup of cooked quinoa provides:

  • manganese – 58% of the DV
  • magnesium – 30% of the DV
  • phosphorus – 28% of the DV
  • folate – 19% of the DV
  • copper – 18% of the DV
  • iron – 15% of the DV
  • zinc – 13% of the DV

Quinoa is also naturally gluten-free, making it a great starch option for those on a gluten-free diet.

Want to learn more about quinoa, including how to cook it perfectly and other creative ways to use it? I have a comprehensive guide all about cooking quinoa here!

Quinoa edamame salad in a large serving bowl.

More Asian-inspired salads:

Did you give this Quinoa Edamame Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

Get the Recipe: Quinoa Edamame Salad With Miso Dressing

This quinoa edamame salad recipe is made with colourful, crunchy vegetables like cucumber, celery, carrots, and purple cabbage. Tossed in an Asian-inspired miso sesame ginger dressing, this salad recipe is so flavourful and PACKED with plant-based protein!
Quinoa edamame salad in a large serving bowl.
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Ingredients

Salad:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 cups edamame, shelled
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced or chopped
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1 large bell pepper, cored + diced (red, orange, or yellow)
  • 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded (or kale!)
  • 1/4 cup green onion tops, diced
  • 1/2 cup peanuts or cashews (raw, unsalted)

Miso Salad Dressing:

Instructions

  • COOK QUINOA: If you don't have pre-cooked quinoa on hand, start by cooking the quinoa so that it's done once you're finished chopping up all the veggies! For ease of measuring, I would cook 1 cup of dry quinoa. It makes a little more than 2 cups of cooked quinoa, but you can easily store the leftovers for another use. If you need help, I've got a post all about cooking quinoa perfectly HERE.
  • THAW EDAMAME: Follow the directions on the back of the packaging. You can thaw them in the microwave with a splash of water, or boil them for a few minutes on the stovetop. Drain them in a sieve and let them continue to drain until ready to use.
  • MAKE DRESSING: Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl. Whisk everything together well until a smooth dressing forms. Set aside.
  • CHOP VEGGIES: Chop up all the veggies into bite-sized pieces and place in a LARGE mixing bowl.
  • Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa, the thawed edamame, and nuts to the mixing bowl.
  • Pour dressing overtop and toss everything together to combine well. Miso adds salt to this recipe, but feel free to use additional salt + pepper, if needed. Serve + enjoy!

Notes

*PURCHASING EDAMAME: Edamame are whole, immature soybeans that have a distinct bright green colour. They are commonly found in the frozen section of your grocery store (with the rest of the frozen vegetables). Make sure you purchase shelled edamame, rather than the edamame in its pods! The back of the packaging will have instructions for how to thaw edamame – usually with a splash of water in the microwave, or a few minutes in boiling water on the stovetop.
*SERVINGS: This salad recipe is quite filling and will make anywhere from 4-8 servings, depending on if you eat is as a meal or side, and on how hungry you are.
*LEFTOVERS: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It makes a great meal prep salad and/or packed lunch idea!
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS:
  • Please note that you can choose to leave out any of the veggies if desired – just add more of the other ones in!!
  • If you do not enjoy or digest cabbage well, feel free to swap it with something like chopped kale (those pre-cut tuscan kale varieties would be great here).
  • If you’d like to swap quinoa for another grain, this salad would certainly work with something like wild rice or farro.
  • I like to use the unsalted varieties of both peanuts + cashews, but you are welcome to use roasted/salted ones as well. Feel free to choose one or the other nut, or a mix of both. For a nut-free option, you may leave these out or replace with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower. The added crunchy texture works wonderfully!

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!

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