Crunchy Edamame Salad with a ginger-garlic almond dressing, shredded carrots, and crunchy cabbage is a satisfying main or side dish salad. It’s easy to make and full of good-for-you ingredients and Asian-inspired flavors. Make it for light dinners, weeknight sides, and potlucks!
Add flavor, color, and crunch to your healthy meal repertoire with my amazing edamame salad. Topped with a 5-minute garlic-ginger almond dressing, this crunchy and zesty salad is so refreshing and delicious you may be unable to stop after one serving!
With nearly 10 grams of plant-based protein per side dish serving, this vegan edamame recipe is the perfect way to add extra staying power to your favorite meals. It’s made with everyday ingredients, making it an accessible and doable quick recipe you can enjoy throughout the year. You’ll go wild about this recipe if you love edamame in salad as I do! For more vegan Asian-inspired recipes, check out my Maple Teriyaki Tofu & Veggies, Vegan Japchae Style Noodles, and Crispy Orange Cauliflower recipes.
Ingredients
Edamame: Edamame are young soybeans. When steamed or boiled, they are nutty, naturally sweet, and tender with a great bite. Use frozen shelled edamame (also known as mukimame) and boil or steam until tender for the best flavor and texture. If needed, you can use edamame in the pod, but you will need to shell them after cooking.
Red Cabbage: Adds crunch, color, and a natural, sweet flavor. Buy pre-shredded cabbage or shred your own with a sharp knife or food processor fitted with a shredding attachment.
Carrots: Contribute color, earthy flavor, and crunch. You can buy pre-shredded carrots or shred them with a box grater or a food processor.
Scallions: Also known as green onions, scallions add a pungent bite to the Asian edamame salad. Choose firm scallions with unblemished outer layers and slice them finely before adding.
Almond Butter: Makes the base of the almond butter dressing. Use natural smooth almond butter and stir it well if it has separated or settled.
Lime Juice: This acid adds a bright and zesty finish to the dressing. For the most flavor, use freshly squeezed lime juice.
Agave Syrup: Contributes sweetness to the dressing. Raw, light, amber, or blue agave syrup all work. Darker colors tend to have deeper caramel flavors, so choose your option accordingly. If needed, you can also use maple syrup.
Soy Sauce: Adds savory and salty notes, balancing the edamame salad’s sweetness. Use low-sodium soy sauce to lower the sodium in this salad, or swap tamari or coconut liquid aminos to make it gluten-free.
How to Make Edamame Salad
- Cook edamame. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the edamame and boil for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain it and let cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
- Combine the vegetables. Add the shelled edamame, red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small whisking bowl, combine the almond butter, lime juice, soy sauce, agave or maple syrup, ginger, and garlic. Whisk well until smooth and creamy.
- Pour dressing over the salad. Pour the almond lime dressing over the vegetables.
- Toss salad. Gently toss the edamame bean salad well to combine. Season the salad to taste with salt.
- Marinate or serve. Cover and refrigerate the salad for an hour to marinate or serve it immediately, garnished with chopped almonds.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. For the most zesty and flavorful dressing, use fresh garlic and ginger, minced or grated just before whisking.
- Stir the almond butter well. Natural almond butter splits upon prolonged storage. For the smoothest and creamiest dressing, stir it well before adding.
- Edamame cooking method alternative. You can also steam the edamame. Add 1 ½ inches of water to a Dutch oven and add a steaming insert. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the edamame and steam for 5 minutes, until tender. Carefully remove the steaming insert or scoop the beans from it and cool them for 5-10 minutes, until cool to the touch.
- Cool the edamame before adding it to the salad. Drain the edamame and let it cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before combining it with the other vegetables. This will keep the salad crisp and fresh.
- Marinate the salad. Letting the edamame salad recipe sit in the dressing for at least one hour allows the flavors to develop and penetrate the salad, giving it superior flavor. If you have the time to do so, cover it and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
Recipe Variations
Add variety to your meals by making any of the following adaptations:
- Extra Heat: For an extra kick of spice, whisk 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha or a few shakes of red chili flakes into the dressing.
- Gluten-Free: Make this soybean salad sans gluten by using tamari or coconut liquid aminos in place of the soy sauce.
- Vary the Veggies: Swap in your favorite vegetables for extra nutrition, flavor, and color. Massaged chopped kale, shredded green cabbage, rainbow carrots, spiralized zucchini, and shredded beets are all great picks.
- Plant Protein Power-Up: To add extra staying power and protein to this vegan edamame recipe, top it with pan-fried tofu, grilled or roasted tempeh, or stir-fried seitan.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy large bowls of this edamame crunch salad as a satisfying and nutritious main dish, or serve it as a side salad with any of the following recipes for a full-spread plant-based meal:
Storage Directions
Store leftover salad with edamame in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It does not freeze well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, edamame, also known as mukimame, are just young soybeans, so they are plant-based and vegan.
Yes, you can make edamame salad recipes with different beans, such as chickpeas, butter beans, or fava beans. You can also make it with 12 ounces of mixed beans, such as edamame and chickpeas, or butter beans and fava beans.
Most brands of shelled edamame are blanched before freezing, so they are safe to eat. For the most tender beans, I recommend boiling them, but you can skip this step if desired. If using frozen edamame in the pod, you will need to steam or boil them before shelling, as they are not blanched before freezing.
More Healthy Vegan Salad Recipes
- 12 oz bag frozen shelled edamame, also known as mukimame
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 shredded carrots, about 1 cup
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced
- ¼ cup fresh minced cilantro
- ¼ cup smooth almond butter, stirred well
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, or tamari
- 2 tsp agave or maple syrup
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- ½ cup raw almonds, chopped
- Salt, to taste
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Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the edamame and boil for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain it and let cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, until cool to the touch.
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Add the shelled edamame, red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
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In a small whisking bowl, combine the almond butter, lime juice, soy sauce, agave or maple syrup, ginger, and garlic. Whisk well until smooth and creamy.
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Pour the almond lime dressing over the vegetables. Toss well to combine. Season the salad to taste with salt.
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Cover and refrigerate the salad for an hour to marinate or serve it immediately, garnished with chopped almonds.
Store leftover salad with edamame in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It does not freeze well.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. For the most zesty and flavorful dressing, use fresh garlic and ginger, minced or grated just before whisking.
- Stir the almond butter well. Natural almond butter splits upon prolonged storage. For the smoothest and creamiest dressing, stir it well before adding.
- Edamame cooking method alternative. You can also steam the edamame. Add 1 ½ inches of water to a Dutch oven and add a steaming insert. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the edamame and steam for 5 minutes, until tender. Carefully remove the steaming insert or scoop the beans from it and cool them for 5-10 minutes, until cool to the touch.
- Cool the edamame before adding it to the salad. Drain the edamame and let it cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before combining it with the other vegetables. This will keep the salad crisp and fresh.
- Marinate the salad. Letting the edamame salad recipe sit in the dressing for at least one hour allows the flavors to develop and penetrate the salad, giving it superior flavor. If you have the time to do so, cover it and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
