As we dip our toes into Spring and get those first warm breezes rustling our hair (or blowing up our skirts ala Marilyn Monroe), I thought I’d share one of my favorite go-to warm weather dishes, edamame and quinoa salad.
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with the same old thing. The same pasta salad, rice or potato variety. I mean, if it’s good, why change, right? But if you’re starting to bring your lunches and dinners outdoors, for a change of scenery, don’t you want a change of pace on your plate, too?
And this dish really rises to the occasion. Aside from being uber-healthy with protein-packed quinoa and calcium-rich edamame this salad also gets a punch of flavor from paper-thin, peppery radishes and a tangy, bright lemon-mint vinaigrette. It’s ideal for the warmer weather and takes no time to make, so you can spend more time relaxing and enjoying the later sunsets.
Fact: I made this for Emily when she came home for a visit from college and she nearly ate the whole bowl — not an exaggeration! Since she liked it so much, I thought I should also mention that this dish has staying power, able to hold up in the refrigerator for several days without wilting into a sad, gloopy mess — ideal for the hungry college student or for brown-bagging!
I’m not saying this is going to replace the old standbys, but you’re definitely going to want to add this to your spring and summer mix!
Housekeeping note: To achieve a paper thin slice for these radishes or any other vegetable you either need a very sharp knife and a steady hand or a mandoline. I used a mandoline in this recipe — and I love it for it’s versatility of cuts — everything from thin fries, to planks to waffle cuts. You can pick one up here along with the other tools I used for this recipe! Note: if you should purchase from this site, I will receive a small commission – hey, every little bit helps!
I love the clean flavors in this salad. It's bright and fresh and absolutely perfect alongside grilled chicken, pork or seafood!
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup edamame
- 1/2 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under running tap water. Transfer quinoa to a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and spirals are visual on the surface. Remove from heat and let sit uncovered, until quinoa is at room temperature.
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Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, slicing the onions, scallions, radish, parsley and mint and transferring them to a large bowl.
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In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and stir to combine.
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When quinoa is cool, fluff the quinoa with a fork and add it to the vegetables. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Can be made ahead and served chilled or at room temperature.
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Oh def sending to my sister. She lives on edamame. This looks so pretty
Thank you! I hope she enjoys it!
This salad is mouthwatering, and so easy to make too!
Very simple to make, but also flavorful and satisfying! A good combo!
Totally pinning this! I’m always looking for new quinoa recipes and this one looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Thank you!
So pretty and colorful! I’ve never eaten quinoa in salad but this sure sounds like a salad I would love to try.
It’s really good beside a grilled chicken breast or pork chop!
This salad looks absolutely delicious!! Gorgeous photos! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Glad you like it Sam!
Such a beautiful and light salad! And that vinaigrette sounds delicious; love the mint in there. I bet this would be awesome with chicken or fish, too! Yummy!
This is one of our go-to’s as a side for anything on the grill!
This salad looks so gorgeous, it looks very light and healthy, I must try!
I made this when my daughter came home from college — after eating cafeteria food for two months and she was in heaven!
I love this salad! The vinaigrette sounds particularly intriguing because I have some weird mental block with mint. I absolutely love it. Every time I use it in a dish I say “I have to use this more.” And then almost every time I’m cooking or recipe testing I forget to put it in! So I’m definitely giving this beauty a go!
I love mint — and it grows so rampantly that there’s always some in the herb garden.
I am so ready for spring and this kind of bright and light meal. Love it Lisa!
Spring is coming… though from the latest storm, you’d never know it!
I need a taste of this bowl! What a nice way to spruce up a quinoa bowl with edamame!!!
Thank you, Tina! I’m so glad you like it!
This salad looks so refreshing. My husband doesn’t like radishes, and I’m neutral about them, so I’ll leave that out, but I can’t wait to make this, especially for our next family get together!
I understand about the radishes, maybe some bell pepper instead?