Protein Packed Vegan Quinoa Edamame Salad Recipe

As part of the Ambassador Program I received product samples and compensation from NOW® to thank me for my participation, but the product selection and all opinions are genuinely my own. #NOWWellness

Protein Packed Vegan Quinoa Edamame Salad Recipe

Like many of us here, every year I make a resolution to eat healthier, and each time I get a little better at it! This year I made a big push toward home-cooked meals, using as much fresh produce as possible. Because of that, 2017 was full of dietary changes, but the main one was switching to mostly plant-based foods. I did not go completely vegetarian or vegan, but limiting my meat intake to 1-2 times a week did wonders for my overall well-being. I also stopped eating so much processed food. And again, I didn’t go totally cold turkey yet, but that’s the ultimate goal for 2018.

Trying different products from NOW Foods is what initially inspired me to have a more wholesome diet. Every month I would spend 30 minutes to an hour just browsing nowfoods.com, learning more about different grains, oils, snacks, and herbal teas. And every month I would grab a thing or two that I’ve never tried before to experiment with [amaranth, what?]. I’m slowly building up my collection of delicious meatless recipes, and so far got a few gems up my sleeve, including one of my absolute favorites – a fresh, protein-rich and nutrient-packed plant-based Vegan Quinoa Edamame Salad. It takes only 20 minutes to prepare [and another 15-30 to refrigerate], works as a main dish or a side dish, and easily survives a day or two in the fridge as leftovers.

Too many plant-based recipes use black beans, so I’ve been looking for other meatless protein options and edamame is one of my top picks. In case you were wondering, soybeans and edamame are the same thing. Edamame is young soy harvested early, so the beans have a unique fresh and light flavor, while still providing lots of nutritional benefits. Edamame contains fiber, calcium, folic acid, and a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids necessary for the human diet.

This recipe is so easy, that finding shelled edamame would be the hardest part. My local grocery retailer only stocks one brand of frozen shelled edamame, and if it’s sold out then I’m out of luck. You could use edamame in pods and just shell it yourself, but for the sake of saving time and sanity [considering I cook all meals from scratch every day now], I prefer to pay an extra buck for the convenience of shelled beans.

As it turns out, combining edamame, quinoa, and corn is very popular. There are many recipe variations, and every cook adds her own touch to it. Well, this is my version!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Living Now™ Organic Black Quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (if using fresh, you’ll need 1 ear)
• 8 oz bag of frozen shelled edamame
• 8 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1 sweet red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• ½ small jalapeno pepper, diced (skip if you don’t like spicy food)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (leaves only)
• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped (leaves only)
• 2 tbsp Ellyndale® Organics Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 large lemon)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ⅛ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare quinoa as directed on the package, and cool completely.
2. Boil edamame and corn in lightly salted water for 2 minutes, drain, and set aside until cool.
3. Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and spices.
4. Combine the sauce with quinoa, edamame, corn, pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro.
5. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to let the quinoa absorb the sauce. This will make the salad even more flavorful.
6. Serve on a bed of fresh baby spinach.

Recipe yields 2 servings if used as a main dish, or 4 as a side dish. It pairs well with baked or grilled vegetables, hearty soups, veggie burgers or sandwiches.

What are your favorite plant-based side dishes? Would you give this salad a try? Let me know in the comments below!