High-protein 15-minute Edamame Quinoa Salad with oil-free Miso Ginger Dressing is easy, quick, and delicious. The perfect meal-prep recipe for a packed lunch or weeknight dinner. Great for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues.
An ideal go-to dinner for those evenings when you want to eat healthy, not work too hard, and get food on the table in less than 15 minutes!
This was inspired by my Creamy Vegan Kale & Edamame Salad on this site, as well as this Protein-Packed Quinoa & Kale Salad recipe.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Edamame: Using frozen and shelled edamame is a quick way to add protein and heart-healthy fats to any meal with minimal effort. Simply thaw them under running warm water before using them.
- Quinoa: Cooks in just 15 minutes. Packed with protein, and is gluten-free. Make ahead to save time.
- Peanuts: Add a delicious crunch and extra protein. Omit for nut-free.
- Shredded carrots and red cabbage: Loaded with nutrients. Plus, unlike lettuce, they do not get soggy. Chop in a food processor to minimize prep time.
See the recipe card for quantities.
For the Miso Ginger Dressing:
- Grated Ginger: Use a microplane or fine grater. This is also a great method for making ginger tea!
- Tamari: Choose a gluten-free brand to make this salad gluten-free. Opt for one that is lower in sodium.
- Tahini: Adds a creamy texture and heart-healthy fats. Substitute with smooth nut butter as desired.
- Miso: Packs a punch of umami. Use white or mellow miso.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🥜 Substitutions
- Tahini - Substitute with smooth nut or seed butter (peanut, cashew, almond, SunButter). Add more water as needed for the desired consistency.
- Quinoa - Use rice noodles instead to change things up. Both are gluten-free.
- Tamari - the tamari can be replaced with soy sauce
- Garlic powder - Substitute with one garlic clove. Grate the garlic directly into the dressing using a microplane or fine grater.
🫑 Variations
- Spicy - add sriracha or hot sauce to the dressing
- Veggies & herbs - add more chopped veggies and fresh herbs (bell peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, parsley, shaved Brussels)
- Toasted sesame oil - add toasted sesame oil to the dressing for a hint of sesame
Try this Simple Tofu Noodles recipe to change things up. See more quick and easy salad ideas on my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
📖 How to Make Quinoa Edamame Salad
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
This salad takes no more than 15 minutes to make. Cook the quinoa, and chop the veggies beforehand to save even more time. The dressing can also be prepared ahead of time.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Save some chopped peanuts for garnish.
Mix the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until fully incorporated, with no chunks of miso remaining.
Pour the desired amount of dressing into the salad and mix to combine. Garnish with chopped nuts. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice for extra tang. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Use a food processor to chop all the veggies. This saves a ton of time and gets them evenly chopped. Make sure to use the larger holes on the shredding disc for the cabbage and carrots.
- Meal prep this salad ahead of time and pack it for lunch. It is also great for picnics, potlucks, or barbecues as it does not get soggy.
- Storage: Dress this salad to taste. Refrigerate any remaining dressing in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Use on all your favorite salads. It is very versatile.
- Storage: Refrigerate any remaining dressed Edamame Quinoa Salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
No. Frozen and shelled edamame has already been blanched. For thawing, place them in a strainer and run them under warm water for about one minute, or until they reach room temperature.
One exception is if you are using the edamame to make a dip or spread. In this case, gently boil the edamame for five minutes beforehand to soften them for blending.
Note: You will end up with 3 times as much cooked quinoa as cups dry. For this recipe, use ⅔ cup dry quinoa and 1 ⅓ cups water for cooking.
To cook: Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under running water for 30 seconds. Drain well. Add the quinoa to a saucepan with two times as much water. Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the quinoa covered for about 15 minutes, or until it has absorbed all the water. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for five minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season with salt to taste.
Prepping this salad beforehand cuts the 'cook' time down to 2 to 3 minutes!
Refrigerate the chopped veggies, chopped nuts, cooked quinoa, and dressing in four separate containers with lids. You can also thaw the edamame beforehand, but be sure to drain and dry them well before transferring them to the refrigerator. Simply mix the ingredients for serving.
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📖 Recipe
Edamame Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons white miso
- 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
For the salad:
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium)
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage (about ½ small)
- 1 ⅓ cups shelled edamame frozen, thawed
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ½ cup chopped green onion white and light green parts (about 3)
- ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts plus more for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Mix the rice vinegar, tahini, tamari, miso, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until the miso is fully incorporated, with no chunks remaining.
- Combine the ingredients: Transfer the carrots, red cabbage, edamame, quinoa, green onion, and peanuts to a large bowl. Add the desired amount of dressing and mix to combine. Add salt to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Becky M says
This salad ticks all the boxes - so delicious, a good keeper and a nutritional powerhouse. We love it and make a meal of it.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this edamame salad. It is certainly very nutritious! Thank you for leaving a comment.
John Schampel says
Absolutely fantastic. This is the first recipe of yours I have made, now I can't wait to dive into others. Thank you for your culinary insights and for all the work you clearly do to bring it out into the larger world.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I am so glad you enjoyed this first one!
sadie says
Is one cup equal to one serving? TIA
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
One-third of the whole thing is one serving.
laura knutty says
I happened to have all the ingrediants on hand for this salad, which is always a win. The salad took me a little longer than the said time to prep, but the process was easy and the salad was delicious! It makes quite a bit, but I will love having the leftovers. I consistently refer to your recipes and am always so pleased. Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear that you are enjoying them. Sometimes the prep can take a while. I like to listen to a podcast while chopping:)
Surae says
I made this today and it is delicious! It took me a little longer than anticipated but it was worth it. Next time I will cut in half since it does make a lot and I’m the only one eating it.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it and yes, great idea for one!
Chris says
Made 1/2 recipe for a small whole food plant based pot luck 6/10/24 and came home with only a few spoonfuls! This is delicious!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! Super happy to hear this! Glad it turned out well.
Autumn Fiordland says
This recipe is my new favorite. Easy and quick but so delicious, plant-based, and filling!
Nisha Melvani says
So glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
Ash says
I absolutely love this recipe, I find it really delicious. Do you have an aprox measurement for the serving size? I'm curious for tracking purposes cause I under eat often.
Nisha Melvani says
So glad you enjoyed it. I don't have an exact measurement. Sorry.
Amina says
So light and refreshing, perfect for the warmer weather!
Nisha Melvani says
Yes! Great for the summer! Thank you.
Neena Chandiramani says
Wonderful recipe!
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you!