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A white bowl of salad with Asian dressing, cucumber, celery, green peas, edamame, quinoa, chopped spinach and cilantro.
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5 from 13 votes

Salad with Asian Dressing (High Protein)

This high-protein Salad with Asian Dressing is crunchy, healthy, and budget-friendly. Meal prep this quick and easy vegan salad for the week.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Vegan
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 386kcal
Author: Nisha Melvani

Ingredients

For the Asian Dressing:

  • ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
  • ¼ 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 (⅔ cups dry, cooked)
  • 2 cups baby spinach chopped
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ 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 ½ cup cucumber, ½ cup celery, ½ cup green peas, ½ cup edamame, ½ cup quinoa, ½ 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

    • Use frozen shelled edamame 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

Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 1127mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2501IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 6mg