If you asked me to describe my ideal weekday lunch, I’d say a salad that’s simultaneously nutrient-dense and packed with fun flavors and textures. Bonus points if it’s ready in 30 minutes and the leftovers taste great.
Luckily for me (and you!), this Edamame Salad checks all those boxes. It’s packed with protein and fiber, meal-prep-friendly, and features a wow-worthy sesame-soy-tahini dressing that’ll make you want to lick your bowl clean.
In other words: say good-bye to sad desk lunches and hello to this jazzy, flavor-rich salad that’ll make your day a whole lot better.
“I made this exactly as the recipe stated and it was so freaking good. Filling and delicious and the flavour was so, so satisfying. So thrilled I have leftovers to eat for lunch today.”
Key ingredients and components
- Edamame. They’re subtly sweet, tender-firm, and easy to prepare, requiring just a quick cook in boiling water. I recommend the pre-shelled version to save time—find them in the frozen section of of major grocery stores as well as East Asian grocery stores.
- Nuts and seeds. Briefly-toasted peanuts, shredded coconut (unsweetened, like this one), and sesame seeds not only add delightful crunch to the salad, but contribute a lovely nuttiness that complements the tahini dressing.
- A trio of aromatics. Garlic, scallions, and chile peppers get toasted in oil alongside the nuts and seeds, a technique called blooming that pulls out their savory, sweet, and spicy notes.
- Tahini-soy dressing. Tahini, soy sauce (or tamari, if gluten-free), toasted sesame oil, lime juice, and agave nectar come together for a dressing that’s salty, tangy, slightly sweet, and rich with nuttiness. PS: if you love tahini as much as I do, try it in my Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, or Tahini Pasta.
- Fresh herbs. Cilantro and mint brighten the salad and balance the creamy dressing with a burst of freshness.
Swaps + Subs
Peanut allergy? Use cashews or almonds instead.
No sesame seeds? Omit them, or swap in sunflower seeds.
No cabbage? Grated carrots work (buy them pre-shredded to save time). Diced bell peppers or cucumbers are great, too.
Not a fan of coconut? No big deal, just omit it.
No scallions? Use 1 thinly sliced shallot, or ¼ to ½ cup finely diced red onion.
No agave? Maple syrup works, though its flavor is a touch more prominent.
Hate cilantro? Use all mint, or sub in Thai basil.
Love ginger? Sauté a small knob of freshly minced ginger with the garlic.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow the package instructions to cook the edamame.
- For a cold edamame salad: After cooking and draining, rinse the edamame under cold running water and pat dry.
- For a warm edamame salad: Drain the cooked edamame, then transfer it to a serving bowl while it’s still warm.
To make the dressing, whisk the tahini, agave nectar, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a bowl.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds, coconut, and peanuts in the dry pan until they’re fragrant.
Add the oil to the pan, followed by the chile pepper, scallions, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook the aromatics until the sesame seeds and coconut are turning golden brown.
Take the mixture off the heat and pour it over the edamame and cabbage in the serving bowl.
Add the dressing, then toss to combine. Finish by stirring in the cilantro and mint, then season to taste with more salt if needed. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe
Don’t overcook the edamame
Cooking edamame is technically optional because frozen edamame comes precooked in the package. But if you do cook the edamame, err on the side of undercooking. I always pick the lowest cook time range on the package to ensure I don’t overcook the edamame.
That’s because overcooked edamame = soggy edamame salad.
Once it’s cooked, drain the edamame very well. Pat the beans dry with dish towels if needed to avoid a soggy, water-logged salad.
Serving the edamame salad cold? All you need to do is run the cooked and drained edamame under cold water, then pat dry.
Helpful cabbage tips
Shredded red cabbage bulks up this salad, making it feel like a more substantial lunch or even dinner. The added antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins are a bonus, too.
The more finely grated the cabbage, the easier this salad is to eat. There are several ways to grate cabbage but I like to shred it on the large holes of a box grater. This way, the shreds practically melt into the salad. Otherwise, you can also use a mandoline, a food processor slicing disc, or a sharp knife to slice the cabbage.
Want to save the leftovers for later? Keep in mind that the cabbage will wilt quite a bit as it sits. Omit the cabbage if you want to maximize freshness for more than 2 days, or stir the cabbage in only when serving.
Make it a main meal
The salad is pretty filling on its own, but here are a few ideas to turn to to make it even more satiating:
- Massage finely shredded lacinato kale with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil until soft, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Fold it into the salad and drizzle extra tahini on top.
- Fold in some diced avocado for a creamy element and serve over cooked quinoa or farro.
- Increase the amount of peanuts or sesame seeds and serve over rice.
- Toss udon noodles, rice noodles, or even whole wheat spaghetti with toasted sesame oil, then toss this salad into the noodles.
- A hunk of crusty bread on the side always makes it more filling!
Multitask to save time
With multitasking, this dish shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to make. While you wait for the water for the edamame to boil, prep the nuts, seeds, and aromatics and grate the cabbage or other vegetables.
While the edamame boils, whisk together the dressing and chop the herbs. You can even whisk the dressing together and store it in the fridge 2 to 3 days ahead of assembling the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but only if you omit the grated cabbage. Once assembled, the salad can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you make it with the cabbage, it will wilt after day 1 or 2.
To maintain its freshness and crisp tenderness, store each of the components in separate containers in the fridge, then assemble when ready to serve:
– Toss the edamame with the toasted aromatics and seeds/nuts, but not with the dressing, cabbage, or herbs.
– Store the dressing in a separate airtight jar in the fridge.
– Grate the cabbage and store it separately in a container in the fridge.
On the day of serving, bring the dressing to room temperature, re-whisk it, and toss it with the edamame and cabbage. Chop up the fresh herbs, add them to the salad, and toss.
You can, but you will need to pop the soybeans out of the shell first. The shells are very tough and not pleasant to eat.
On its own, the salad is perfect for lunch because it’s so filling. But to make it even more satiating, serve it over cooked rice or whole grains, or toss it with noodles. You can even serve it with my Simple Baked Tofu or Marinated Tofu on top for more protein.
When you want to serve it as a side dish, I recommend pairing it with my Gochujang Noodles, Tofu Stir Fry, or Lettuce Wraps.
If you love this Edamame Salad recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and review below! It’s always much appreciated 🙂 And tag me on Instagram – I love hearing your feedback.
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Edamame Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) frozen shelled edamame (see Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon white or black sesame seeds
- ¼ cup (25g) unsweetened shredded coconut (skinny shreds like this) (optional, can omit if desired)
- ⅓ cup (45g) dry-roasted peanuts (or cashews), roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil of choice
- Kosher salt
- 1 serrano pepper or Fresno pepper, diced
- 4 scallions, top 1 inch trimmed and sliced thinly (save dark greens for garnish)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 cups (160g) red cabbage, finely grated (optional, see Note 2)
- 1 ½ tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 medium lime, zested + juiced
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (see Note 3)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup (8g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
- 1 small handful of fresh mint leaves, torn (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the edamame per package instructions. (I typically boil the edamame for 3-4 minutes.) Drain the edamame. If you prefer a cold salad, rinse the edamame under cold water until cool. Shake the colander well to remove excess water. Transfer the edamame to a serving bowl.
- While the water comes to a boil and the edamame cooks, prep anything else you can: dice the chili pepper; thinly slice the scallions or very thinly slice the shallot; finely chop the garlic; chop the cilantro; make the dressing.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the tahini, agave nectar, lime zest and 1 tablespoon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whisk until smooth, adding a bit more lime juice if desired. The dressing will be fairly thin, that’s fine.
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat (don’t add the oil just yet). Once hot, add the sesame seeds, coconut, and peanuts. Toast briefly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.a. Now add the oil to the pan, followed by the chile pepper, scallions, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sesame seeds and coconut are turning golden brown.b. Take the mixture off of the heat to prevent overcooking and pour over the edamame. Add the cabbage, if using. Re-whisk the dressing and pour over the edamame, and toss to combine so that all the edamame is well coated.
- Stir in the cilantro and mint, if using. Season to taste with a pinch of salt or squeeze of lime juice as needed.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to buy shelled edamame. If you can only find whole edamame in a pod, you will need to shell it yourself and buy about 24 oz whole edamame to end up with 12 oz shelled. If your edamame bag comes with 16 ounces, feel free to use that. The sauce is quite flavorful and saucy, so it should be enough to coat more edamame. If it feels a bit dry, add a splash more of soy sauce and lime juice and toss to coat. You can also buy refrigerated pre-cooked edamame at some stores, like Trader Joes.
- The cabbage is here to add some veggie action, but you can omit it. I prefer to use the large holes of a box grater to get a really fine grated cabbage, as it almost melts into the salad and doesn’t feel cruciferous. You can also use a mandoline, a food processor slicing disc, or a sharp knife to slice the cabbage. Or, you can replace it with grated carrots (you can buy pre-grated carrots if you want).
- Use tamari or gluten-free soy sauce to keep this salad gluten-free.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
Forgot to fill in the stars in my earlier comment 😀
I also added diced red apple and avocado along with pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds. The flavors of this salad are very satisfying. I have been trying to include more phyto progesterone sources in my diet eversince I reached post menopausal health phase. This Edemame salad checks all the boxes for me.
Thanks for the lovely review, Anu! Happy to hear you loved the salad.
I tried this salad for lunch today. We absolutely loved it. Thank you for this detailed recipe and notes on substitutions/additions. They were great help:
Great salad. I think this would be great on top of tacos as a topping too!
Yum, Adriana! Good idea. Happy to hear you loved the salad!
The flavours in this salad were amazing! 😋🩷This was a last minute lunch pick for me, so I had to use a lot of the substitutions you suggested (plus some of my own) in order to work with what I already had on hand (i.e. red onions instead of scallions, carrots instead of cabbage, peanut butter instead of tahini, maple syrup instead of agave, and extra cilantro instead of mint), and like I said, it turned out so, so good. It was perfect for lunch, and sooooo filling. This was actually my first time trying edamame, and you’ve made a convert out of me 😉 I’ll definitely be returning to this recipe again, and I’m excited to try it with cabbage next time, as written. Thank you!
Wooohoo, we’re thrilled you loved the salad, Leslie! So great to hear you’re a big fan of edamame now!
My friend made this for me and my husband. Oh my gosh! It was over the top wonderful. We got 5 servings of salad each. I was able to make about 8 spring rolls out of the leftovers. I asked her for the recipe today. I am going to check out your other recipes. Thank you!!
Awesome to hear it, Taraz. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Delicious salad! Filling and satisfying.
Lovely to hear you enjoyed it, Sangeeta! 🙂
gold star recipe all the way Nisha. i didn’t have red cabbage so used grated carrots as you suggested, sliced yellow and red bell peppers, celery for crunch, red onions instead of green, chopped raw almonds instead of peanuts. because i didn’t have shelled edamame i had to shell them myself, which took the most time obviously lol! the recipe is very forgiving and really savoury and delectable. will definitely try the red cabbage next time around – this is a solid five out of five, will make again 100 percent!
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Lisa!
So beautiful and so fresh! Perfect salad for summer. So many flavours combined.
Emma, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Mmm just lovely! Perfect mix of flavours, and the toasting of the peanuts, coconut and Sesame seeds are the cherry on top. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Tianna!
Was thinking about this recipe since it was posted on instagram. Yesterday I finally made it and man, it didn’t disappoint! I really loved all the flavours together, the crunchiness and the dressing. I’m surprised again at your creativity Nisha! The only thing I changed was adding a bit more peanuts. Will definitely make this very soon again.
Annelies, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the salad.
Came out great! Another winner from Nisha!
Hi Amy, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!