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!
Edamame and Quinoa Salad
I love the clean flavors in this salad. It's bright and fresh and absolutely perfect alongside grilled chicken, pork or seafood!
Ingredients
- 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
for vinaigrette
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables, slicing the onions, scallions, radish, parsley and mint and transferring them to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and stir to combine.
- 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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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?
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!
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 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.
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!
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 absolutely delicious!! Gorgeous photos! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Glad you like it Sam!
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!
Totally pinning this! I’m always looking for new quinoa recipes and this one looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Thank you!
This salad is mouthwatering, and so easy to make too!
Very simple to make, but also flavorful and satisfying! A good combo!
Oh def sending to my sister. She lives on edamame. This looks so pretty
Thank you! I hope she enjoys it!