This Asian edamame salad with sesame ginger dressing is a great summer salad.  It’s my version of the Whole Foods prepared salad, but more on the slaw end of the spectrum.  The creamy sesame ginger dressing is oil-free and uses cashews and tahini for a dose of calcium and healthy fats.  It’s a perfect crunchy summer main dish or side salad.  Linking up with Sarah and Deborah for Meatless Monday.

During the month of August, my coworkers and I train teachers on our company’s curriculum to prepare for the new school year.  It’s an exhausting merry-go-round, each day having to teach the same thing and being “on” the entire day.  Lunch is the only brief reprieve when we can sit down.

Three years ago, I took over the ordering, and decided to try out Whole Foods.  We ordered the Asian edamame salad with an oil-free sesame ginger dressing, and whoa.  All my coworkers and I became obsessed with the dressing.  It’s spicy, tangy, rich and creamy.  We knew it would be a good day of training if we ordered that salad.  Every summer since, my coworkers request that I order that salad with THE dressing.  So I wanted to re-create the whole thing, Asian edamame salad and THE dressing.

Now, THE dressing was hard to figure out.  I had the ingredients, but not the proportions.  Cashews. sesame seeds, orange juice, brown rice vinegar, soy sauce and ginger. Time to get a-tinkering!  The sesame ginger dressing is creamy, meaning that the tahini and cashews were probably the base.  Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, which are high in calcium.  Cashews are nuts I have featured a LOT so far because of their versatility in vegan kitchens.

The original recipe uses soy sauce for umami.  I tried miso paste instead, but that required more water which diluted the flavors.  Soy sauce it was!  Instead of brown rice vinegar, I just used regular white rice vinegar.  After whizzing everything in a blender, I adjusted taste.  More vinegar brought more of a zing.  More soy sauce brought a deeper flavor that played well with the orange juice.  After tweaking and tasting, tweaking and tasting, BINGO.  I made THE dressing!

The Asian edamame salad is simple, although, to be fair, my version is more like an Asian slaw than a salad.  The original version from Whole Foods uses spinach, red cabbage, bell peppers, mangoes, and edamame.  I kept everything except the spinach.  I also added green onions for a pop of freshness.

Let’s talk about the key salad ingredients.  Red cabbage fills my crunchy texture need, but it is also high in anthocyanins, which have been linked to lower levels of cardiovascular disease (source).  Edamame is a complete plant-based protein.  Edamame also contains calcium and magnesium, two super key minerals for athletes (source).  Both bell peppers and mangoes have a ton of vitamin C. Plus mangoes add a juicy sweetness to the salad.  You can add tempeh or tofu for additional plant-based protein.

I am bringing this Asian edamame salad (slaw) and the sesame ginger dressing to a family reunion this weekend.  It will be my vegan savior at a BBQ.  Crossing my fingers that others like it!

If you try this recipe, let me know!  Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram.  I’d love to see how you enjoy your Asian edamame salad!  You can add the oil-free sesame ginger dressing to grain bowls and stir-frys too! 

Buen provecho,

Becca

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Asian Edamame Salad with Seame Ginger Dressing

This Asian edamame salad with ginger dressing is a light summer dish. It was inspired by a salad at Whole Foods that my coworkers and I love. This is a crunchy and juicy salad with a good amount of plant-based protein. The sesame ginger dressing is oil-free and a delicious addition to other salads, grain bowls and stir-frys!

Prep Time

10 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 3 c shredded red cabbage
• 1 c shelled, cooked edamame
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 medium ripe mangoes
• 4 stalks green onions

Sesame Ginger Dressing

• 1/3 c raw cashews
• 1/4 c water *plus more if needed
• 1/4 c tahini
• 2/3 c orange juice
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger *or sub 1 1/2 tsp powdered ginger

Prep Time 10 minutes Servings servings Ingredients For the Salad 3 c shredded red cabbage 1 c shelled, cooked edamame 1 large red bell pepper 2 medium ripe mangoes 4 stalks green onions Sesame Ginger Dressing 1/3 c raw cashews 1/4 c water *plus more if needed 1/4 c tahini 2/3 c orange juice 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger *or sub 1 1/2 tsp powdered ginger

Instructions

To make the sesame ginger dressing

1. In a large frying pan, dry toast the cashews over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning. They should take 3-5 minutes, remove when they smell nutty and aromatic.
2. Add the cashews to a blender with 1/4 c of water. Blend on high for about 5 minutes to break down the cashews.
3. Add the tahini, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fresh ginger. Process on high until smooth. If you would like thinner dressing, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Set aside.

To make the salad

1. Julienne the bell pepper into matchsticks. Dice the mangoes. Finely chop the green onions.
2. Combine the shredded cabbage, cooked edamame, bell pepper, mango and green onions in a large bowl. Toss well.
3. Add as much of the sesame ginger dressing as you prefer and enjoy! Top with optional tempeh or tofu for more protein.

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