Holiday Edamame Salad with Orange and Pomegranate

A Vibrant Holiday Edamame Salad with Orange

If you're hosting guests over the holidays, I have the perfect healthy side dish for you: this vibrant edamame salad with orange. This versatile, protein-rich, vegan holiday salad is a recipe that almost anyone can enjoy. It looks festive, features iconic seasonal ingredients, and is make-ahead friendly, yet it comes together quickly and easily with almost no cooking involved.

I especially love this holiday edamame salad because of its versatility. You can enjoy it as a chip dip (the protein will keep everyone satisfied until dinner), a side dish, or even a main course. If you follow a special diet or have guests who do, it's always a good idea to make something that your plant-based, grain-free, or health-conscious visitors can enjoy.

What events are you hosting or attending this fall and holiday season? Whether you're going to a holiday party, hosting a festive Christmas dinner, or are just looking for easy meal-prep during a busy time of year, I know you're going to love this holiday edamame salad. The combination of hearty edamame, sweet orange, and juicy pomegranate is seasonal and vibrant; it's perfect for December!

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How to Make this Holiday Edamame Salad

You'll be amazed at how quickly this edamame salad with orange and pomegranate comes together. You just need a knife, a cutting board, and one bowl; there's no cooking involved, no complicated ingredients, and no need to dirty multiple dishes.

You'll start by preparing the frozen edamame as directed on the package. I like to use Seapoint Farms shelled edamame in this recipe and I usually just thaw them in the microwave for ease. You'll then prepare the pomegranate and dice up some cucumber and blood orange, then toss everything together in a bowl with the simple dressing ingredients. The dressing is just blood orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, and salt, so it's just as easy as the salad. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, top it with avocado and crunchy pepitas, and you're ready to serve.

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Make-Ahead Tips

This recipe works well as a make-ahead healthy, plant-based holiday side dish. To make this festive edamame salad in advance, mix together the edamame, cucumbers, pomegranate, orange, and dressing up to several hours ahead and store everything in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Add the avocado and pepitas just before serving. If the salad will need to sit out on a holiday buffet, brush the avocado with lemon juice to prevent browning.

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Holiday Edamame Salad Variations

Because this salad is so simple, it's a great blank canvas for variations. For more holiday color, try adding some finely diced red bell pepper or red cabbage. If you have cranberries on hand, experiment with using them instead of (or in addition to) the pomegranate. Like things zesty? Add a tablespoon of freshly-grated ginger to the dressing, which goes beautifully alongside the orange.

You can also change up the garnishes on this easy, make-ahead holiday salad. I've shown pepitas because of their green color, but pistachios will also work great. I like to top this winter edamame salad with creamy avocado, but you can omit it if you have to prepare the salad in advance and are worried about browning.

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Another Easy Edamame Salad Recipe

Love edamame salads? Me too! If you’re in the mood for something colorful and veggie-filled, you'll definitely want to check out this Rainbow Edamame Salad. It's a go-to in our house for spring and summer gatherings, plus it's wonderful for meal-prep.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this edamame salad with orange, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Edamame. Look for Seapoint Farms shelled edamame in the frozen section of the grocery store.
• Baby cucumbers
• Pomegranate arils. If possible, opt for a fresh pomegranate and seed it yourself. It can take a while, so you might want to prepare the pomegranate a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator if you're hosting a gathering. Some stores, including Trader Joe's, sell prepared pomegranate arils, although the flavor usually isn't as good.
• Blood oranges. These unique oranges are usually only available during the winter; they have a sweet yet earthy flavor and a beautiful color. If you can't find them, any other oranges will work instead, but tangerines would be the most flavorful option.
• White balsamic vinegar. I don't recommend using regular (dark) balsamic vinegar in this holiday edamame salad because it will alter the color. White balsamic also has a sweeter, less intense flavor than regular. If you can't find it, try using Champagne vinegar with a dash of maple syrup.
• Salt
• Avocado
• Pepitas

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Closing Thoughts

Aren't you excited to serve this vibrant, festive holiday edamame salad at gatherings this season? I love dishes like this that look celebration-worthy but are actually very easy to prepare and are make-ahead friendly. Your guests will be taking photos when you set this down on the table for Christmas or a holiday party, especially if you go all-out with the garnishes as I've shown here.

This recipe is great evidence for why I always argue that mostly-raw dishes are the best way to enjoy seasonal flavors. A fresh, colorful edamame salad with orange and pomegranate really lets these iconic fall fruits shine. Happy holidays!

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Suggested Pairings

Cranberry Orange Ginger Rum Punch

Holiday Sweet Potato Hummus

Orange and Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash

Vegan Roasted Vegetable Harvest Pasta

Rum Poached Pears

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Disclosure: This recipe has been developed through a paid partnership with Seapoint Farms. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.