This quinoa edamame salad has quickly become one of my absolute favourite grain salads to meal prep. It’s got fluffy quinoa, tender edamame, crisp purple cabbage, cucumber and juicy grape tomatoes, all coated in a creamy, umami-rich miso dressing. It takes about 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cook time, serves four and makes fantastic leftovers for healthy lunches throughout the week!
I love a salad with an Asian-inspired dressing and this miso dressing is one I keep coming back to. Sometimes I use it on my High Protein Crispy Rice Salad, which is another great one to add to your meal prep rotation if you love a good salad. And if you love quinoa salads, check these 30+ Quinoa Salad recipes!
This is one of those recipes I make on repeat because it’s fresh, filling and doesn’t skimp on flavour. And when it comes to salads, that’s non-negotiable for me. A salad has to have real, delicious flavour, or I’m just not going to keep making it!
Everything You Need to Make Quinoa Edamame Salad
You only need a handful of simple, fresh ingredients to make this quinoa and edamame salad, most of which you’ll find at your local grocery store. Below is everything you’ll need along with any ingredient notes and possible substitutions. You can find the exact ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- quinoa – quinoa is a naturally gluten-free grain (technically a seed) and a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Rinsing it well before cooking removes the natural coating that can make it taste bitter.
- chicken broth or vegetable broth – cooking the quinoa in broth instead of plain water adds so much more flavour. Use vegetable broth to keep this salad vegetarian.
- edamame – I use frozen edamame beans (already shelled) for convenience. Edamame is a great source of plant protein, fibre and calcium, and it’s what really makes this an easy edamame quinoa salad to throw together, since there’s no extra cooking required beyond a quick blanch.
- purple cabbage – adds a lovely crunch and colour. You can swap for green cabbage or a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix to save time.
- Lebanese cucumbers – deseeding them helps stop the salad from getting watery. You can swap for another variety of cucumber, just remove the seeds and any excess water first.
- grape tomatoes – cherry tomatoes work just as well here.
- coriander (cilantro) – adds a lovely fresh, herby flavour. If you’re not a coriander fan, swap for finely sliced scallions (green onion) or fresh mint.
The Miso Dressing
- white miso paste – this is what gives the dressing its salty, savoury flavour. You’ll find it in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores or Asian grocers.
- tahini – adds a creamy, nutty base to the dressing.
- garlic – freshly minced garlic is best here, but in a pinch you can swap for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- tamari – tamari is a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. If you don’t need this recipe to be gluten-free, regular soy sauce works too.
- pure maple syrup – balances out the saltiness and tang in the dressing. Always use pure maple syrup rather than maple flavoured syrup.
- apple cider vinegar – adds the acidity needed to balance the dressing. Rice vinegar is a good substitute if that’s what you have.
- extra virgin olive oil – whisking the oil in slowly at the end helps the dressing emulsify into a smooth, creamy consistency. You could also use a neutral oil or a small drizzle of sesame oil for a deeper, nuttier flavour.
Optional Extras
- fried onion – adds a lovely crunch on top and is completely optional, but highly recommended.
- sesame seeds – a small sprinkle adds extra crunch and a lovely nutty flavor.
- extra veggies – if you want to bulk this salad out with more veggies, diced red bell pepper, grated carrots or thinly sliced scallions would all work beautifully.
- something sweet – diced mangos are a delicious addition if you want a pop of sweetness against the savoury dressing.
- extra crunch – roughly chopped nuts like cashews or peanuts make a great topping if you’re not after a nut-free version.
Tips for Making the Best Edamame Salad
This quinoa edamame salad is a really simple, forgiving recipe, but here are a few of my top tips and tricks to make sure it turns out perfectly every time. You’ll find the full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Rinse the quinoa well – rinsing the quinoa two to three times in a fine mesh sieve before cooking removes the natural bitter coating (called saponin) and gives you much better flavour.
- Cook the quinoa in a small pot – bring it to a boil in the broth, then reduce the heat right down and let it steam with the lid on. This gives you light, fluffy quinoa instead of mushy grains.
- Let the cooked quinoa cool before assembling – tossing warm quinoa with the cabbage and cucumber can wilt them and make the salad soggy. Spread it out on a tray or plate to cool to room temperature faster. You can even pop it in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.
- Whisk the dressing slowly – add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. This helps the miso dressing emulsify into a smooth, creamy consistency rather than separating.
- Don’t skip deseeding the cucumbers – this small step stops excess water from pooling at the bottom of your large bowl and diluting the dressing.
- Blanch the edamame, don’t boil it – pouring boiling water over the frozen edamame and letting it sit for a minute is all it needs. There’s no need to bring it to a full boil in a small pot; you just want it thawed and warmed through.
- Taste and adjust the salt – miso and tamari both bring plenty of sodium to the dressing, so taste before adding any extra salt.
- Toss just before serving if meal prepping – for the best texture, store the dressing separately and toss it through right before eating so the veggies stay crisp.
Storage
This edamame quinoa salad is one of my favourite salads to meal prep! Once tossed with the dressing, divide the salad between four individual airtight containers, pop the lids on and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. It stays fresh, I promise!
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If you’d like the salad to hold its crunch for longer, you can store the dressing in a small bowl or jar separately in the fridge (it will keep well for about a week) and toss it through just before eating.
The cooked quinoa on its own freezes really well, so it’s worth cooking a double batch and storing half in the freezer for next time. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the assembled salad though, as the cucumber, cabbage and tomatoes will turn watery and limp once thawed.
Quinoa Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 2 cups edamame
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed and diced
- 200 grams grape tomatoes, quartered
- small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Miso Dressing
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 3 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Fried onion, to serve, optional
Instructions
- To cook the quinoa, add the quinoa to a large saucepan and top with water. Use clean hands to swish the quinoa around in the water to wash. Strain the quinoa through a fine mesh sieve and then return to the pan. Repeat this process another two times. After returning the quinoa to the pan for a final time, top with the chicken broth and place onto the stovetop. Bring to a boil and boil until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn the heat to low and place the lid on the saucepan. Once any liquid has stopped bubbling up through the quinoa, turn off the heat and leave the lid on, allowing the quinoa to steam.
- Make the dressing by adding the miso paste, tahini, minced garlic, tamari, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Continue whisking while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Add the frozen edamame beans to a heatproof jug and top with boiling water. Let it sit for about 1 minute before straining through a heat proof fine mesh sieve.
- To assemble the salad, add the cooked and cooled quinoa to a large salad bowl along with the edamame, shredded cabbage, diced cucumber, grape tomatoes and coriander. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.
- Serve topped with crunchy fried onions if desired.
Notes
Tips
- Deseed the cucumbers and quarter the tomatoes ahead of time so the salad comes together quickly once the quinoa is cooked.
- Let the quinoa cool to room temp before tossing it with the veggies. Adding it warm can wilt the cabbage and cucumber.
- For a gluten-free version, double check your miso paste is labelled gluten-free, as some varieties contain barley.
- If meal prepping, divide between four individual serving sized airtight containers, place the lids on and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
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