Edamame and Quinoa Salad (Printer Friendly)

Vibrant protein-rich salad with edamame, quinoa, and vegetables in citrus dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains and Legumes

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1 cup shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cucumber, diced
07 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
02 - While quinoa cooks, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, edamame, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and mint.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Pro Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, and most of that time the quinoa handles itself while you chop vegetables.
  • The protein punch from edamame and quinoa means this works as a standalone lunch, not just a side.
  • One batch feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day when the flavors get cozy with each other.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa, because the saponin coating tastes like soap and will ruin the whole thing before anyone even tastes the edamame.
  • Let both the quinoa and edamame cool down completely before mixing, or the dressing will separate and slide off instead of coating everything evenly.
03 -
  • Cook your quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water for a subtle depth that makes people ask what you did differently.
  • Prep all your vegetables the morning of and keep them in separate containers, then assemble everything 20 minutes before you need to serve it so everything stays crisp and the herbs stay bright.
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