Asian Edamame Salad

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This Asian-inspired edamame salad is crunchy, colorful and loaded with cabbage, carrots and peppers. Everything is tossed in a delicious ginger miso dressing. Vegan + gluten-free.

You are going to fall in love with this salad. Not only is it packed with an array of bright, flavorful veggies but it’s also loaded with plant-based protein from the edamame.

And don’t even get me started on the ginger miso dressing. It’s definitely the star of the show! It has a salty, earthy flavor from the miso, zesty bite from the ginger and a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup. It’s seriously so good – you’ll want to lick it straight off the spoon!

Asian edamame salad in a salad bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Salad

  • It has a variety of textures and colors, which makes it so fun to serve and enjoy.
  • The ginger miso dressing is packed with so much flavor and has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
  • It’s super easy and quick to make! Just chop your veggies, blend the dressing, combine + serve!
  • It’s vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.
Asian edamame salad.

What is Edamame?

Maybe you’ve seen edamame on the menu at your local sushi restaurant, but you’re not quite sure what it is. I’ll give you the 411!

It’s a green, immature soybean that is high in plant-based protein (1 cup has about 18 grams), fiber and vitamins. it’s also a good source of healthy fat and antioxidants, while being low in calories and cholesterol.

Edamame is usually boiled or steamed and is often eaten as a snack or as a side dish in Japanese cuisine. That said, it can also be served in a variety of dishes, such as salads and stir-fries. In the United States, most edamame is found in the freezer section with the frozen vegetables. You can buy it shelled (sometimes called mukimame) or in the shell. While I love snacking on steamed and salted edamame in the shell, I typically buy shelled edamame so I don’t have to mess with de-shelling it for easy meals.

Ingredients measured out to make Asian Edamame Salad: edamame, red bell pepper, carrots, purple cabbage, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, sunflower seeds, white miso, cilantro, rice vinegar and maple syrup.

Ingredients Needed

  • purple cabbage – it adds a slightly sweet flavor, along with vibrant color and crunchy texture. Purple cabbage is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
  • edamame – the star of this salad! As I mentioned above, I recommend buying shelled edamame so you don’t have to worry with de-shelling it before making the salad.
  • carrots – this adds a bit of crunch, sweetness and color to the salad.
  • red bell pepper – adds a sweet and crunchy flavor, as well as a vibrant color. They are also high in Vitamin C and a great source of fiber.
  • cilantro – a wonderful addition because it adds a bright, fresh flavor that complements all other ingredients. It also contains beneficial antioxidants and nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin K, and manganese.
  • sunflower seeds – provides a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. They are also a good source of healthy fats and protein.
  • ginger miso dressing – don’t skip this dressing! It’s a tasty blend of white miso paste, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar and maple syrup. Just in case you’re unfamiliar, miso is a fermented soy (or chickpea) paste that has a ton of health benefits. Miso is used frequently in Japanese cooking and adds a salty, umami flavor to dishes. Typically the lighter the miso, the milder and sweeter its flavor. This dressing works great with white miso, which is the mildest variety you’ll find.
Collage of four photos showing the steps to make Asian Edamame Salad: blending miso dressing in a blender and then tossing the dressing with veggies.

How to Make

This salad couldn’t get any easier to make! Here’s what you’ll need to go

Blend dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until combined and smooth.

Make salad: Add all salad ingredients except sunflower seeds to a large bowl.

Toss to combine: Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Serve: Top each portion with sunflower seeds and enjoy.

A serving of edamame salad on a plate with a fork.

Customize Your Edamame Salad

This salad works well with a variety of ingredients. You could swap the veggies for something that suits your palate, change the dressing, or just add some more ingredients to the mix. Here are some ideas:

  • Veggies: Swap out some of the veggies, or add some new ones to this recipe. Zucchini, corn, red onion, cucumber, or broccoli would work well. You could also add some leafy greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula or kale!
  • Herbs: Cilantro pairs well with the ingredients in this salad, but Thai basil, parsley, chives or lemon balm would also be great options.
  • Protein: Try adding a little extra protein to this salad for a more filling meal. Serve this over a bed of quinoa or add chickpeas, tempeh or tofu. If you don’t need this salad to be vegan you could add some shredded chicken.
  • Seeds & nuts: Swap the sunflower seeds with another seed or nut like pistachios, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, almonds or cashews.
  • Dressing: I personally love this ginger miso dressing for this recipe as it pairs so nicely with all the crunchy vegetables, but here are some other ideas that would pair well with this salad: chili almond dressing, peanut dressing or garlic tahini dressing.
A serving bowl containing asian edamame salad.

How to Store Leftovers

This salad stores super well! Store any leftovers in an airtight sealed container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

If you’re making this as a meal prep salad I recommend adding some dressing to the full batch but saving some to add just before serving as well. The cabbage doesn’t get soggy but you lose a little flavor from the dressing as it sits so I like to add a drizzle of dressing when I serve it. I also recommend adding the sunflower seeds right before serving.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try

More Salad Recipes to Try

Be sure to check out all of the edamame recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes here on EBF!

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4.63 from 8 votes

Asian Edamame Salad

This Asian-inspired edamame salad is crunchy, colorful and loaded with cabbage, carrots and peppers. Everything is tossed in a delicious ginger miso dressing. Vegan + gluten-free.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

Salad

  • 1 small head purple cabbage, shredded, about 8 cups
  • 1 12oz bag frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package
  • 4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks, about 1 cup
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
  • â…“ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

Ginger Miso Dressing

  • 1 4-inch piece ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup white miso paste
  • ¼ cup sesame oil
  • â…” cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions 

  • Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until combined and smooth.
    Ginger miso dressing in a blender.
  • Add all salad ingredients except sunflower seeds to a large bowl.
    Vegetables in a bowl.
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.
    Vegetables and dressing tossed together in a bowl.
  • Top each portion with sunflower seeds and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 19g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Equipment

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: asian edamame salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. Forgive me this silly moment, but am I the only one who loves fresh veg dishes, but gets annoyed that they require SO MUCH CHEWING? Anyone noticed?

  2. 5 stars
    This was a really satisfying salad, and I just polished off the leftovers for lunch. Thanks for the healthy and flavorful recipe! The only thing is that my chopping skills leave something to be desired…

  3. 5 stars
    I’ve been following you for a couple of years now and love your recipes!

    I have yet to make something and have an issue or not like the outcome.

    Keep up the great work, you rock.
    Thank you!!

    1. Aw thank you for sharing, Jill, this means so much to me. I am incredibly glad that you are loving my recipes, thank you so much for your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!

  4. 2 stars
    I made this and I found it way too vinegary, I don’t know why it called for so much vinegar when the typical ratio is 2/3 oil to 1/3 vinegar with regular dressings.

    If I make this again I will be adjusting that. It was very colourful and if not for the dressing I think would have liked it.

    1. Thank you for your feedback, Heather. Sorry the dressing was a bit too overpowering for you. You can definitely adjust as you see fit. Hope you give this recipe another try and it turns out or you.

    1. Hi Megan – Thai basil, parsley, chives or lemon balm would also be great options. Hope you love this salad!

  5. 5 stars
    Hi Brittany. Thank you for your delicious Edamame Salad recipe. I made it for a company luncheon today and it got very favorable comments and the best part was there were no leftovers. That’s how I can tell that people really enjoyed it. I just used toasted pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds. Yum! This salad will join my regular rotation.

    1. WOO! This is so great to hear, Delbert. I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!

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