This high-protein Salad with Asian Dressing is crunchy, healthy, and budget-friendly. Meal prep this quick and easy vegan salad for the week. It's packed with greens, rich in antioxidants, and gluten-free.
This is the ultimate salad for getting your greens and plant-based protein deliciously. Plus, it keeps for up to four days in the refrigerator, and is ideal for layering inside a mason jar for meal-prep. (See measurements and instructions below.)
The 4-ingredient Asian salad dressing packs in flavor and marinates the greens and veggies for the best-tasting green salad.
This recipe was inspired by my No-Cook 15-Minute Edamame Salad on this site, as well as my gluten-free Quinoa Tabbouleh.
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๐ฉ๐ผโ๐พ Ingredients
- Edamame packs protein, heart healthy omega 3s, and fiber into this Asian-inspired salad. Use frozen shelled edamame. Simply thaw them in a sieve under running warm water and dry between the layers of a kitchen or paper towel.
- Green peas are rich in fiber, and essential vitamins. In addition, they are low in calories, making them a great choice for people looking to maintain a healthy weight.
- Toasted sesame oil adds a nutty earthy taste to the dressing. This is different to refined sesame oil which is flavorless.
- Tamari is similar to soy sauce, but it is available in a gluten-free form. It is slightly less salty, but you can use either soy sauce or tamari for this recipe.
- Rice vinegar adds tang and brightens the flavors.
- Quinoa is a protein-rich, high-fiber seed. It's naturally gluten-free and cooks in just 15 minutes.
See recipe card for quantities.
๐ซ Substitutions
- Edamame - if you can't find frozen shelled edamame, use more green peas, or lima beans instead
- Green peas - you can double the edamame and skip the green peas as desired
- Toasted sesame oil - use plain sesame oil or olive oil instead as needed
- Cilantro - use fresh parsley, or mint instead as desired
- Quinoa - substitute with farro, brown rice or a preferred grain of your choice
- Baby spinach - use chopped kale, or arugula instead as desired
This Cherry Tomato Salad with Lentils is also quick and easy, and balanced with protein. For more quick, easy, and budget-friendly salads, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
๐ Instructions
Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the packet. Fluff with a fork, and set aside. Or use leftover quinoa.
Step 1. For the dressing, whisk the tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and toasted sesame oil in a medium bowl.
Step 2. For Meal Prep Salad Jars - either make 2 (32-ounce) for a main, or 4 (16-ounce) mason jars for a side: Divide the dressing between the jars. Then add cucumber, celery, green peas, edamame, quinoa, spinach, cilantro, scallion, and toasted sesame seeds to each jar.
Step 3. Alternatively, transfer the cucumber, celery, green peas, edamame, quinoa, spinach, cilantro, scallion, and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix to combine.

For serving: Add fresh lime juice to taste. Refrigerate leftover Salad with Asian Dressing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
๐ก Expert Tips
- Use frozen shelled edamame for this Salad with Asian Dressing. They do not require further cooking. Simply thaw them in a sieve under running warm water and dry between the layers of a kitchen or paper towel. Alternatively, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
- For the salad jars, change the order of ingredients as desired, but keep the leafy greens, and fresh herbs on top. I enjoy the cucumbers pickled, so I place them at the bottom.
- Storage: Refrigerate any remaining salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The mason jar salads remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Recipe FAQs
An Asian Chopped Salad Kit is a store-bought packet of pre-chopped veggies, and other salad ingredients, such as savoy cabbage, green cabbage, carrots, celery, green onion, crispy wontons, and the crunchy toasted almonds. Feel free to use pre-chopped veggies for this recipe. The Asian-inspired dressing is versatile and works well with these kits.
Layering the ingredients for this salad inside a mason jar keeps them fresher for longer. The dressing is on the bottom, separate from the other components, so they do not become soggy.
Try to include leafy greens for a healthier salad. Darker greens are typically more packed with nutrients. For example, kale and spinach have significantly more immune-boosting vitamins than iceberg lettuce.
๐ฝ Related Recipes
๐ฉ๐ฝโ๐ณ Made This Recipe?
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๐ Recipe
Salad with Asian Dressing (High Protein)
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Ingredients
For the Asian Dressing:
- ยผ cup tamari or soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
- ยผ cup plus 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or sesame oil
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 2 cups chopped cucumber (about 1 large)
- 2 cups chopped celery (about 6 ribs)
- 2 cups sweet green peas (frozen, thawed)
- 2 cups shelled edamame (frozen, thawed)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (โ cups dry, cooked)
- 2 cups baby spinach chopped
- ยฝ cup chopped cilantro
- ยฝ cup chopped scallion
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Optional for serving:
- Fresh lime juice to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Whisk the tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and toasted sesame oil in a medium bowl.
- Option 1 (For Meal-Prep Salad Jars): To make 4 (16-ounce) mason jars: Add one-fourth of the dressing to each jar. Then add ยฝ cup cucumber, ยฝ cup celery, ยฝ cup green peas, ยฝ cup edamame, ยฝ cup quinoa, ยฝ cup spinach, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 2 tablespoons scallion, and 2 teaspoons sesame seeds to each jar. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Shake before serving. Add fresh lime juice to taste. Or make 2 (32-ounce) jars and double the ingredients for a high-protein, more satisfying main dish.
- Option 2: Transfer the cucumber, celery, green peas, edamame, quinoa, spinach, cilantro, scallion, and sesame seeds to a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix to combine.
Notes
-
- Useย frozen shelled edamameย for this edamame salad. They do not require further cooking. Simply thaw them in a sieve under running warm water and dry between the layers of a kitchen or paper towel. Alternatively, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
-
- For the salad jars, change the order of ingredients as desired, but keep the leafy greens and fresh herbs on top. I enjoy the cucumbers pickled, so I place them at the bottom.
-
- Storage: Refrigerate any remaining salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The mason jar salads remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition information is for 1 (16-ounce) jar.
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.
Lisa P. says
I have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap. Would parsley be okay to substitute?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes! That would be fine.
Nancy Andrews says
Hello -I am anxious to try your recipes just how I would like to eat! Question - can the tamari be substituted with coco aminos? Iโve typically used that instead of soy sauce for other dishes. Thanks so much- I will have to acquaint myself more with our Asian markets.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes! Absolutely.
Alicia says
This salad is fire! It is my go to salad. It is fabulous with quinoa and also black wild rice, which adds to its Asian influence and adds interesting color and texture. It doesn't have the same protein profile as quinoa, but it's delicious and beautiful. Either way, it's a stunning and exquisite salad.
Thank you Nisha! We eat an average of five of your recipes per week. Love your Practcally Vegan cookbook.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for purchasing my cookbook! I appreciate your support and so glad you are loving this salad.
Laura says
Delicious...and nutritious! Even my meat-loving husband enjoyed this.
I used pearl barley as I didn't have the other grains listed and it worked really well.
Thank you, Nisha!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love pearl barley. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Patricia says
Wow! Really delicious. I added a red pepper because my husband was really craving it, and used parboiled dinosaur kale instead of spinach. Also used a leftover mix of brown rice and quinoa. Loving it before the lime, and will add some to experiment. Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love your additions. Thanks for leaving a comment. I'm so glad it was a hit!
Dana R says
Itโs delicious! I love the crunchiness
and flavor. I also love that it can be a complete meal with all the protein in it.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad it was a hit! Thank you for commenting. Have a great week.
Jennifer says
I loved the broccoli salad. I did not put in the quinoa as Iโm not a fan. My husband loved it too. Great left over too!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you both enjoyed it. Thank you.
Lara says
Crispy, light, refreshing! What a simple and yet super tasty salad. I lightly steamed lacinato kale instead of having spinach. Delicious!
Nisha Melvani says
I'm so glad you trued this one! It's a fave. Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great week.
Celeste says
If you donโt have rice vinegar what can you substitute it with?
Nisha Melvani says
You can use apple cider vinegar instead.
Jessica says
Great recipe, but didnโt fit in 4x 500mL mason jars. Will need to use bigger containers next time.
Nisha Melvani says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I'm not sure why t didn't fit as that is the size I used.
Neena Chandiramani says
Enjoyable!
Nisha Melvani says
Glad you liked it!
Lenora says
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? I'm not a fan of maple syrup.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes.
Primla Goddard says
Super healthy salad that takes only 15 minutes to prepare. Love it !
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.