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Edamame Salad with Peanut Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 54 reviews

This vibrant Edamame Salad with Peanut Sauce is a delicious and healthy dish featuring protein-packed edamame tossed with crisp vegetables and coated in a creamy, flavorful peanut sauce. Perfect as a light meal or a refreshing side, it combines nutty, tangy, sweet, and savory elements for an irresistible taste and satisfying crunch.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Edamame Salad:

  • 1 pound edamame (about 16 ounces), shelled or in pods
  • 1 medium cucumber (English or 2–3 Persian cucumbers), diced
  • 1 large bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), diced
  • 1–2 medium carrots, shredded or julienned
  • ¼ to ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced or finely diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2–3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (white or black, or a mix)

For the Peanut Sauce:

  • ½ cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (natural, unsweetened and unsalted recommended)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari (for gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (for vegan; adjust to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to taste)
  • 2–4 tablespoons water (to thin sauce as needed)

Instructions

  1. Cook the Edamame: Choose your cooking method—steam, boil, microwave, or Instant Pot. For steaming, place shelled edamame in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 5-7 minutes (6-8 minutes if in pods). For boiling, add shelled edamame to boiling salted water and boil for 3-5 minutes (5-7 minutes if in pods). For microwaving, place shelled edamame with a tablespoon of water in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes (3-4 minutes if in pods). For Instant Pot, add 1 cup water, place shelled edamame on trivet, pressure cook on high for 0 minutes with quick release (1 minute for pods). After cooking, rinse under cold water to stop cooking, drain well, and shell pods if necessary.
  2. Prepare the Peanut Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey or maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes if using. Gradually whisk in water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired pourable but thick consistency is reached. Taste and adjust sweetness, saltiness, acidity, and spice according to your preference.
  3. Prepare the Salad Vegetables: Dice cucumber and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Shred or julienne carrots. Thinly slice or finely dice red onion. Chop fresh cilantro. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and golden, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
  4. Assemble the Edamame Salad: In a large bowl, combine cooked and cooled edamame, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots, red onion, and cilantro. Pour ¾ of the peanut sauce over the salad and toss gently to evenly coat. Add more sauce as desired. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top as garnish.
  5. Serve or Store: Serve the salad immediately at room temperature or chill it in the refrigerator to allow flavors to meld. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Before serving leftovers, consider adding fresh cilantro and sesame seeds to refresh flavors and texture.

Notes

  • Use frozen shelled edamame for convenience or fresh edamame if available.
  • Adjust the amount of honey or maple syrup in the peanut sauce according to your taste preference.
  • To keep the salad gluten-free, substitute soy sauce with tamari.
  • Red pepper flakes are optional and can be omitted for a mild sauce or increased for extra heat.
  • For a vegan version, replace honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.
  • Toast sesame seeds carefully to avoid burning and enhance their nutty flavor.
  • Chilling the salad before serving enhances the flavor melding but can cause vegetables to soften slightly.
  • Leftover salad can be refreshed with additional fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

Keywords: edamame salad, peanut sauce, healthy salad, Asian salad, gluten-free salad, vegetarian salad, vegan option, protein salad

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/edamame-salad-with-peanut-sauce-recipe/