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Enjoy a bowl of this Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad With Sesame Ginger Dressing that’s ready in under 30 minutes. It’s perfect for enjoy for a healthy lunch, to mreal pre and is packed with 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fibre per serving.
Bomb! Thank you Jessica for helping me stay on top of my wellness goals with easy, flavorful recipes, perfect for meal prep. This is an amazing recipe.
If you’ve been looking for a salad that actually keeps you full, this is it. The combination of edamame beans and quinoa gives you 12 grams of protein per serving, and the sesame ginger dressing ties everything together with a savoury flavour that gets better as it sits.
I love making this one salad on Sunday afternoons when I’m prepping for the week. It’s one of those salads stores really well in the fridge. It’s one of my most-made meal prep recipes alongside my Quinoa Chickpea Salad and my Cold Soba Noodle Salad
If you’re a fan of quick easy salads you’ll also love my Superfood Salad that’s bursting with fresh, nourishing ingredients.
Recipe Highlights
- High in protein: Packed with edamame, quinoa, and cashews, this salad delivers 12 grams of protein per serving, making it both satisfying and nourishing. Also try this Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad for another protein and veggie-packed salad.
- Quick and easy to make: With just 20 minutes of prep time, this salad is perfect for busy days or last-minute meals. For another quick and easy favourite also try my Asian Garlic Noodles which also pair great with this salad.
- Great for meal prep: It stores beautifully in the fridge, so you can enjoy a healthy, ready-to-eat meal throughout the week.
- Customizable and versatile: Add your favorite veggies, nuts, or seeds to make it your own, or pair it with other dishes for a complete meal.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Edamame beans: you want to use shelled edamame beans (edamame that have been removed from the shells) for this recipe if possible. You can also use whole edamame beans and just remove the edamame from the pods yourself, but this is a more time consuming process. Find edamame in the freezer section at your grocery store. Throw any leftover edamame into a batch of my Udon Noodle Soup!
Quinoa: You can use white, brown or rainbow quinoa. They’ll all work in this salad. You can also alternatively use a different grain like barley or farro like I use for this Halloumi Farro Salad.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a key ingredient to add an herby taste to the salad, but I know some people don’t like cilantro. If you need a substitute use fresh basil.
Cashews: Adding a crunchy nut like cashews will add great crunch to this salad! I use toasted cashews for extra flavour. Another nut option that would work well are toasted almonds. Cashews are also delicious topped on this Thai Massaman Curry.
How To Make Quinoa Edamame Salad
Step 1: Add the edamame, quinoa, carrots, red bell pepper, purple cabbage, green onions, cilantro and roasted cashews to a large mixing bowl or salad bowl.
Step 2: Prepare the salad dressing and pour it onto the salad.
Step 3: Mix the salad together until everything is combined. Serve immediately.
What To Serve With Edamame Quinoa Salad
This Asian edamame and quinoa salad can be enjoyed on it’s own, can be served as a side with your favourite protein, or be served family-style with other Asian-inspired dishes. I love serving it with my Weeknight Tofu Stir Fry for a healthy dinner, my 15-Minute Sesame Noodles for a something quick and easy, or topping it off with some air-fryer tofu.
How To Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For the best texture, keep the dressing in a separate small jar and toss it with the salad just before eating. If you’re meal prepping individual portions, divide the salad into containers and pack a little dressing on the side so everything stays crisp throughout the week.
Jess’s Tips
➤ Cool the quinoa completely before adding it: Warm quinoa will steam and soften the vegetables, which takes away the crunch. Cook it ahead of time, or spread it on a baking sheet to cool faster. Save the warm quinoa to make this Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad.
➤ Grate the ginger fresh: It’s worth the extra 30 seconds! Pre-jarred minced ginger works in a pinch but freshly grated is so much better. I keep a piece of ginger in my freezer and grate it straight from frozen!
➤ Dress right before serving: The salad can be fully prepped and stored undressed for up to 4 days. Add the dressing when you’re ready to eat for maximum crunch.
➤ Double the dressing: If you’re making this for meal prep, I’d recommend making a double batch of the dressing and keeping the extra in a jar in the fridge. It’s great on other salads like my Thai Crunch Salad, noodles, or as a quick marinade, and it lasts up to a week refrigerated.
➤ Swap veggies: Swap for whatever veggies you love like cucumber, snap peas, shredded kale, mango, or avocado.
➤ Add a protein: Grilled salmon or shredded chicken on top turns this into a complete dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Canned edamame beans aren’t as common to find at the grocery store as frozen edamame, but if you have canned edamame you can use them for this recipe.
Yes. This is a great salad to prepare ahead of time and is a great option to bring to a dinner or potluck.
Try These Salads Next!
If you tried this Quinoa Edamame Salad With Sesame Ginger Dressing or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Quinoa Edamame Salad With Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Appetizer/Side
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Quinoa Edamame Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing is great to meal prep and will won’t get soggy in the fridge! Each serving has 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fibre.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces of shelled edamame (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (approx 1/2 cup uncooked)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Sesame dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (can sub lime juice)
- 2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the edamame beans according to the package directions, then let cool.
- Add the edamame beans, quinoa, red bell pepper, carrots, purple cabbage, green onions, cashews and cilantro to a mixing bowl.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, salt and pepper together in a small cup or jar.
- Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix together to combine and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to cool the quinoa before adding it to the salad
- Use toasted cashews or nuts (or toast them yourself) for extra flavor.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Customize this salad with any veggies or other ingredients you love!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 6g
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5.3g
- Protein: 12g
Bomb! Thank you Jessica for helping me stay on top of my wellness goals with easy, flavorful recipes, perfect for meal prep. This is an amazing recipe.
Thanks Melisa!!
I just made this salad.. and WOW.. it tastes amazing! The only thing I changed in the recipe is I substituted Monk Fruit Sweetener for the Maple Syrup in the dressing as I am off any kind of sugar. This was pretty easy to make.. and that is saying something coming from me – LOL! I will definitely be making this all through the summer!
I love so many of your recipes, Jess.. thank you so much!
I’m sure it’s delicious, but MAN! What a great photo (Crunchy Quinoa Edamame Salad)
Presentation and Plat(e)ing. Nice work!
Could be a Motherwell collage.
Lache pas!
Thanks Mez 🙂
This recipe is so good. It’s light, tasty, filling and healthy.
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Gosh, this is so good! It is such a nice balance of ingredients, some soft, some crisp, some crunchy. It is really a rainbow of vegetables. Thank you for the recipe.
So happy you loved it!