Edamame and Quinoa Salad (Printable)

Protein-packed grain salad with edamame, quinoa, and fresh vegetables in bright citrus dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains and Legumes

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1 cup shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cucumber, diced
07 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How To Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
02 - Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 3-4 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, edamame, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and mint.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until well emulsified.
05 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat all components evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature. For enhanced texture, garnish with toasted sunflower seeds or sliced almonds if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely filling without feeling heavy, which makes it the salad you actually want to eat again tomorrow.
  • The whole thing comes together in about thirty-five minutes, and most of that is just letting things cook while you chop vegetables.
  • You can make a big batch on Sunday and have it ready for weekday lunches without it getting soggy or weird.
02 -
  • Rinsing the quinoa isn't optional—I made that mistake once and spent the whole meal wondering why everything tasted vaguely bitter, so now I do it without thinking.
  • Don't mix the dressing in too early if you're making this ahead, because the vegetables will release water and dilute everything by the time you eat it.
03 -
  • Toast your nuts or seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes right before adding them so they taste fresher and more flavorful than if you add them straight from the bag.
  • If you're packing this for lunch, keep the dressing in a separate container and mix it in right before eating so everything stays crisp.
Go Back