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 healthy salad recipe is so flavourful and PACKED with plant-based protein!
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 🙂
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What is this edamame salad made of?
- 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!
- 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!
- 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.
- 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)!
- 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.
- Red bell pepper: Feel free to use an orange or yellow bell pepper instead, if desired.
- 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).
- 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!
- 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!
- 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
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.
Next, make the miso salad dressing by whisking the ingredients together in a small bowl.
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).
Add all the chopped veggies along with the cooked quinoa, edamame, and peanut to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the miso salad dressing over top…
…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!
More Asian-inspired salads:
- Warm Mushroom Salad With Miso Sesame Dressing
- Asian-Inspired Cold Soba Noodle Salad
- Tofu Salad With Miso Tahini Dressing
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
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:
- 6 Tbsp avocado or olive oil (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 6 Tbsp rice vinegar (or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup hot water (or less depending on desired consistency)
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
- 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!
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
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8 Comments on “Quinoa Edamame Salad With Miso Dressing”
Cooked this tonight and it was delicious! It makes a lot so we also have lunch for tomorrow – it was so filling and fresh. The dressing is divine. Thank you for these incredible recipes!
Hi Mel! Thank you so much for the kind words and taking the time to leave a review! It’s so appreciate and I’m SO happy to hear that you enjoyed this one!! Yes it does make quite a bit – I hope you enjoyed it for lunch the next day, too!!
PS. If you loved this dressing, you may enjoy my Warm Mushroom Salad that also uses it 🙂
Hi Carrie!
I wanted to share with you how much we enjoyed this recipe! The flavor was amazing and all the crunchy textures of the veggies were really addicting! I roasted the cashews for 20 minutes on 247 degrees F to get a nice nutty flavor as the topping. The salad was really beautiful to see on our plates with the many different colors! And don’t get me started on the phenomenal dressing! I am bff with it as we use it very frequently to make your, “ Warm Mushroom Salad with Miso Dressing.” Thank you so much for continuing to create non- dairy recipes and options in your recipes so folks like my family and I feel included in your delicious inspirations!!! 🤗
I have a quick question for you! I am shopping for a high speed blender because our old one just broke. I like the Vitamix product referenced on your website. Does the lid lock in place when the blender is running or do you have the capability to remove the lid while it is running? The reason why I am asking is when we have made our vegan cream sauces, we have removed the hole in the lid to slowly pour hot water into the blender so that the contents won’t explode under pressure. If your Vitamix lid can’t be removed while running, how do you prevent hot liquids from exploding when you make vegan cream sauces? I appreciate your advice. Thank you for all your wonderful contributions to the wellness field! You make eating an absolute joy!
Have a blessed day 🌼,
Jordanna
Hi Jordanna! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the salad and that you are BFF with the miso dressing 😉 It’s so appreciated!!
To answer your question – the lid of the vitamix does not lock in place. You can technically remove it, however I would caution doing this if it’s quite full as the liquids can explode everywhere (did this with a butternut squash soup once and my kitchen was a MESS lol). That said, you can remove the center of the lid to make a little hole that you can pour liquids into it while it’s running! I do this sometimes with smoothies or soups if they aren’t runny enough.
If you’re a regular user of blenders, I highly recommend them! I know they’re an investment, but I’ve had mine for 7-8 years and use it almost every single day. It makes things SO smooth and creamy in seconds. They also have a great warranty of 6 years I believe – if any part breaks they’ll just send you a new one! I had to do this a couple years ago when I got a crack in the jug part. I’ve never worked with Vitamix, so this is totally an unsponsored review 🙂 Feel free to let me know if you have anymore questions about it!!
I forgot to mention in my previous review that I substituted green chickpeas for the edamame beans. Unfortunately, a few years ago I have developed some health problems with soy products even though I used to love eating them. Hormones change when you get older!
For your recipe, I soaked 3/4 cup of dry green chickpeas in water for 12 hours on the counter. I changed the water and rinsed them every 4 hours to prevent contamination. Then, I cooked them for 2 hours in 16 – 20 cups of water on a low simmer with no lid in a huge soup pot. Because the green chickpeas are so bland (unlike farro or barley, for instance), I found a recipe on the internet for a homemade healthy vegetable soup powder and used 1 tsp. of it for every cup of water. It sounds like a lot of work but I have made extra quantities to freeze so I can pull them out to use as a vegan sub for any soy products. Green chickpeas have the same chewy, dense texture as edamame. I have tried subbing fava beans, lima beans, and peas for edamame but my personal preference has been green chickpeas! 🙂
Love this tip, Jordanna!! Thank you for sharing a good swap for edamame! Happy to hear this recipe worked well with chickpeas, too 🙂
Carrie, I trust you with this recommendation on the Vitamix blender! I bought it from the link on your website today and Amazon will ship it by Friday. So excited!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question. 🙂
Aw thank you so much, Jordanna!! So appreciate that. I really hope you love it as much as I do! I know SO many other food bloggers, dietitians, home cooks, etc. who all use the Vitamix – you will love it, I’m sure 🙂 Can’t wait for you to try it!!