This healthy and easy edamame salad features edamame beans, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, pickled ginger and nutty quinoa. An Asian-inspired dressing ties everything together. We call it “sushi salad” because the flavor is reminiscent of our favorite sushi rolls! It’s an awesome side dish to fish and chicken, and you can transform it into spicy tuna salad bowls (more on that in a minute).
This edamame recipe is adapted from a version in my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker. In the book the salad is paired with slow cooked tamari-ginger glazed salmon, but it's fabulous with any Asian-inspired dishes, including this Pan-Seared Tuna.
Ingredients:
- Edamame beans: This salad calls for frozen shelled edamame beans. The shelled beans are already blanched, meaning you just need to defrost them before adding them to the salad!
- Quinoa: Quinoa gives the salad substance and provides a mild nutty flavor. You can swap it out for rice if you prefer.
- Cucumber and avocado: Like in California rolls, diced cucumber and avocado lend a crunchy-creamy contrast.
- Pickled ginger: Store-bought pickled ginger is the secret ingredient, giving the salad a distinctive sushi-like flavor. You can find it at sushi counters or in the Asian section of most grocery stores.
- Scallions: Sliced scallions give the salad an oniony bite.
Dressing
A light but vibrant dressing made with rice vinegar, orange juice, garlic and oil ties the salad together. A pinch of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) or red pepper flakes lends a touch of spice (but is optional).
How to make edamame salad:
- First whisk together the dressing in a small bowl.
- In a bowl, combine cooked quinoa, defrosted frozen edamame beans, diced cucumber, diced avocado, pickled ginger and scallions.
- Toss the salad with the dressing to coat.
Serving suggestions:
You can serve this sushi salad with cooked or raw fish, sautéed shrimp or chicken. Our favorite way to eat it is with Seared Tuna and this Spicy Sriracha Sauce. The combination of the cool, crunchy salad with the tender tuna and the creamy, spicy sauce is out of this world. It’s a one-bowl meal that’s perfect for date-nights and special occasions, but that’s easy enough for weeknights.
Recipe tips:
- You can cook the quinoa days—or even months—ahead. The cooked quinoa can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months (defrost it at room temperature).
- You can make the edamame salad without the avocado up to 2 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, fold in the avocado.
- You can find pickled ginger at grocery store sushi counters or in the Asian section of most markets.
- You can see how I make this salad (and my favorite way to serve it) in this video.
- This recipe is adapted from a version in my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker. Pair it with the Tamari-Glazed Salmon from the book!
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you or supporting From Scratch Fast!
FAQs
Yes! Steamed or boiled edamame is a great way to add color, texture and nutrition to salads. Since it holds up well, it’s perfect for make-ahead salads.
Edamame pairs well with a wide variety of vegetables, such as cucumbers, avocados, bell peppers and sweet corn. It’s also a great match for whole grains, such as quinoa and rice, as well as with shrimp, fish and chicken. Try it with Asian flavors, such as ginger, rice vinegar, tamari and sesame oil.
Edamame, or soybeans, must be cooked before eating. The pods or the shelled beans can be boiled in salted water or steamed until tender. If you buy frozen shelled edamame, it’s already been boiled.
There are many variations of sushi salad, but this version contains edamame, cucumbers, avocado and pickled ginger. A rice vinegar dressing ties it all together.
Related recipes:
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Edamame Sushi Salad
Ingredients
Quinoa
- ¾ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup water
- Salt
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- ⅛ teaspoon gochugaru or red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
Salad
- ½ cup frozen shelled edamame beans, defrosted
- ½ cup finely diced English cucumber
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pickled ginger
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ avocado, peeled and diced
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer; cover and cook until the water has absorbed (you should see little divots in the quinoa), about 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes to steam. Take off the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Transfer it to a large bowl and let cool.
- In the meantime, make the dressing. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, rice vinegar, garlic and gochugaru. Let sit 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Whisk in the oil.
- To the bowl with the quinoa, add the edamame, cucumber, pickled ginger and scallions, and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing and toss to coat (at this point the salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours). Right before serving, fold in the avocado, and season with a touch more salt, pepper or gochugaru, if needed.
Notes
- You can cook the quinoa days—or even months—ahead. The cooked quinoa can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months (defrost it at room temperature).
- You can make the edamame salad without the avocado up to 2 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, fold in the avocado.
- You can find pickled ginger at grocery store sushi counters or in the Asian section of most markets.
- You can see how I make this salad (and my favorite way to serve it) in this video.
- This recipe is adapted from a version in my book, Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker. Pair it with the Tamari-Glazed Salmon from the book!
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