Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad with Fresh Vegetables

Enjoy a fresh, colorful bowl of Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad made with shelled edamame beans, cooked quinoa, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, roasted cashews, and a simple sesame dressing. This protein-packed salad is easy to prepare, full of texture, and perfect for a nourishing lunch, light dinner, or meal prep.

Quinoa And Edamame Salad

If you are looking for a healthy salad that is vibrant, satisfying, and full of flavor, this Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad is a great choice. It combines fluffy quinoa with protein-rich edamame beans, crunchy vegetables, chopped cilantro, and roasted cashews for a balanced salad that feels fresh but still filling.

This quinoa edamame salad is especially useful when you want something quick and wholesome. It comes together in about 20 minutes and keeps well in the fridge, making it a convenient option for busy weekdays. The mix of red bell pepper, shredded carrots, purple cabbage, green onions, and herbs gives every bite a crisp, refreshing texture.

The sesame dressing brings everything together with olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and pepper. It is simple, savory, lightly sweet, and pairs perfectly with the vegetables and quinoa. Serve this salad on its own for lunch, or enjoy it as a side dish with your favorite protein or Asian-inspired meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• High in protein: Edamame, quinoa, and cashews make this salad satisfying and nourishing, with 11 grams of protein per serving.
• Quick and easy: With simple ingredients and about 20 minutes from start to finish, this is an easy salad for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
• Great for meal prep: The salad stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days, especially when the dressing is kept separately until serving.
• Fresh and crunchy: Purple cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, and cashews add plenty of color, crunch, and texture.
• Easy to customize: You can add extra vegetables, swap the herbs, or use different nuts and seeds depending on what you have on hand.

Key Ingredients And Substitutions

• Edamame beans: Use shelled edamame beans for the easiest preparation. Frozen shelled edamame is widely available and cooks quickly. If you only have edamame in pods, remove the beans from the pods before adding them to the salad.
• Quinoa: White, brown, or rainbow quinoa will all work well in this recipe. Make sure the quinoa is cooked and cooled before mixing it with the vegetables. If you prefer, you can substitute another cooked grain such as barley or farro.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a bright, herby flavor. If you do not enjoy cilantro, use basil instead or simply leave the fresh herbs out.
• Cashews: Roasted cashews add a rich, nutty crunch. Toasted almonds are another good option if you want to switch up the flavor or use what you already have.
• Sesame dressing: The dressing is made with olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and pepper. Lime juice can be used in place of rice vinegar if needed.

How To Make Quinoa Edamame Salad

Step 1

Cook the edamame according to the package directions, then let it cool. Add the edamame, cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, chopped red bell pepper, shredded purple cabbage, chopped green onions, cilantro, and roasted cashews to a large mixing bowl or salad bowl.

Step 2

Prepare the sesame dressing by whisking or shaking together the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, grated ginger, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients.

Step 3

Toss everything together until the quinoa, edamame, vegetables, herbs, cashews, and dressing are evenly combined. Serve right away, or store the salad for later if you are preparing it ahead of time.

What To Serve With Edamame Salad

This Asian-inspired quinoa edamame salad can be served as a complete light meal or as a colorful side dish. It pairs well with tofu, noodles, soup, curry, fried rice, or other simple vegetable-based dishes. Because it has plenty of texture and protein, it also works well as a make-ahead lunch that does not need much else alongside it.

• Tofu stir fry
• Garlic noodles
• Sesame noodles
• Udon noodle soup
• Thai massaman curry
• Ho fun noodles
• Vegan fried rice

How To Store

Store leftover edamame quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For the freshest texture, keep the dressing separate and toss it with the salad just before serving. This helps the vegetables stay crisp and prevents the salad from becoming too soft.

If you are using this recipe for meal prep, portion the salad into individual containers and keep the dressing in a small jar or separate container. When you are ready to eat, pour the dressing over the salad, mix, and enjoy. This makes it easy to have a healthy lunch or dinner ready during a busy week.

Jess’s Tips

• Use shelled edamame: Pre-shelled edamame saves time and makes this salad much faster to prepare.
• Cook quinoa while prepping vegetables: If you do not have cooked quinoa ready, start it first and chop the vegetables while it cooks. Let the quinoa cool before adding it to the bowl.
• Keep the dressing separate for meal prep: Tossing the salad just before serving gives the best texture and keeps the vegetables crunchy.
• Toast the nuts for more flavor: Roasted or lightly toasted cashews add a deeper nutty flavor and extra crunch.
• Customize the salad: Add chopped kale, broccoli, avocado, mango, toasted sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds to change the flavor and texture.
• Double the recipe: This salad keeps well, so doubling the ingredients is a great option if you are feeding a group or want leftovers for the week.

Edamame Salad FAQ

Try These Tasty Salads Next

• Kale And White Bean Salad
• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
• Corn Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

If you tried this Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad, enjoy it as a light lunch, a protein-packed side dish, or a fresh meal prep recipe for the week.