No-Cook Rainbow Edamame Salad with Sesame Lime Dressing

·
COME TO COSTA RICA WITH ME!
I'm excited to invite you to a wellness retreat that I'll be leading in Costa Rica this fall (November 12-16). The retreat is all about finding inner peace through connection with nature, moving our bodies, and enjoying colorful plant-based food. We'll be taking sunrise and sunset walks on the beach, paddleboarding, making rainbow salads with local ingredients, participating in a cacao ceremony, and even doing a horseback ride on the beach.

A Healthy Rainbow Edamame Salad

Do you ever feel like you want a fresh, healthy meal but don't want to cook? If so, then this Asian-inspired rainbow edamame salad is for you. It's satisfying and hearty thanks to protein-rich edamame, is bursting with fresh fruits and veggies, and feels light, so it's a meal that nourishes the body. But to keep things easy, this Asian edamame salad is entirely no-cook and is ready in a flash; all you need to do is some chopping.

Yes indeed, this flavorful sesame edamame salad is ready in just 15 minutes. That means you can whip up this salad for a healthy lunch, a light dinner on a hot summer evening, or an impromptu gathering with friends. It won't wilt in the refrigerator or during travel either, so it's a great option for a picnic, a BBQ, or a potluck. It's also vegetarian, vegan, grain-free, and easily nut-free if needed, meaning that it's a recipe almost anyone can enjoy.

Rainbow edamame salad in a serving bowl, shown with half a mango, scattered cashews, and purple flowers.

How to Make this Asian Edamame Salad

You'll be amazed at how quickly this sesame edamame salad 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 chop up some colorful fruits and veggies (bell peppers, carrots, mango, cucumbers) and toss everything together in a bowl with the simple dressing ingredients. The dressing is just toasted sesame oil, fresh-squeezed lime juice, a dash of maple syrup, and salt, so it's just as easy as the salad. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, top it with crunchy cashews, and either enjoy it right away or pack it up for later.

Make-Ahead Tips

Thanks to its hearty ingredients, this sesame edamame salad works beautifully as a make-ahead dish. Just leave off the cashews until you're ready to serve it so they keep their crunch. You can pack the salad into a container to take on a picnic or to a BBQ, or keep a big bowl in the refrigerator so that you'll have easy and healthy lunches for a few days. Feel free to double the recipe for a party or for multi-person meal prep.

Colorful Asian edamame salad, shown on a white background with antique silver serving spoons.

Rainbow Edamame Salad Variations

Because this salad is so simple, it's a great blank canvas for variations. Feel free to add whichever colorful veggies you enjoy eating raw and with Asian-inspired flavors; broccoli and cauliflower will both work nicely (just make sure they're finely chopped). Instead of mango, try using fresh pineapple for the fruit component to give this salad more tropical flare.

Like things spicy? The flavors in this sesame edamame salad go great with some heat. You can experiment with adding some cayenne into the dressing (start with a few generous pinches, then adjust to taste) and/or tossing in some pickled jalapenos. Or, for a different kind of heat, you might enjoy adding a tablespoon of freshly-grated ginger.

Looking for more flavor? As written, this recipe is light, vibrant, and summery. If you want to add more savoriness, you can add a clove of very finely minced garlic to the dressing and/or some thinly sliced green onion.

You can also change up the garnishes. I've shown cashews since they go so nicely with the other flavors, but peanuts or almonds will work equally as well. If you have nut allergies, try using toasted sesame seeds as the garnish instead. If it won't be sitting out or doesn't need to be made ahead, this Asian edamame salad is delicious topped with some creamy avocado.

Close-up of a rainbow edamame salad, showing all the different colorful fruits and vegetables.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this Asian edamame salad recipe, 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.
  • Bell peppers
  • Mango
  • Baby cucumbers
  • Red cabbage
  • Purple carrot. Feel free to use an orange carrot instead, if you can't find purple.
  • Cashews. Peanuts could also work nicely and are less pricey. You can omit these if you have a nut allergy, in which case sesame seeds make for a nice crunchy topping.
  • Fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Maple syrup. Feel free to use honey if you don't need this sesame edamame salad to be vegan. If you use a natural, crystallized honey then you may need to mix it with some water first to get it dissolved.
  • Salt

Rainbow vegan edamame salad, shown next to a bag of frozen edamame and a fresh mango.

Closing Thoughts

Aren't you excited to try this eye-catching Asian edamame salad? It's a versatile recipe that I find myself coming back to again and again, and I hope you'll find it equally as useful. Whether you make it for healthy meal prep or to bring to a summer party, the combination of the nutty sesame, tart lime, crisp veggies, and juicy mango is sure to be a hit.

I think this recipe is great proof that eating colorfully isn't just healthy, it's also fun! This sweet, salty, and savory sesame edamame salad is bursting with flavor and is also packed with a large number of different plants, each of which contains unique nutrients. Your body will definitely thank you for getting so much color into your diet.

Bowl of beautiful, colorful Asian edamame salad in a serving bowl, shown on a white background.

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.

Suggested Pairings

Planter's Punch (a Rum Tiki Cocktail)

Tropical Pad Thai Salad

Blistered Shishito Pepper and Mango Salad

Orange Ginger Sesame Brussels Sprouts

Vegan Pineapple Poke Bowl

Disclosure: This Asian edamame salad 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.

No-Cook Rainbow Edamame Salad with Sesame Lime Dressing

This easy, no-cook rainbow edamame salad is bursting with colorful vegetables, juicy mango, and a vibrant sesame lime dressing. It's a versatile recipe you'll want to come back to again and again.

Author:
Lee

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 12-oz bag of frozen, shelled edamame
  • Red bell pepper
  • Orange bell pepper
  • Ripe mango
  • 4 baby cucumbers
  • Small wedge of red cabbage
  • Medium-sized purple carrot
  • 0.25 c roasted salted cashews

For the Dressing:

  • Juice of a lime
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Cook the edamame according to the package directions and let them cool completely.
  2. Dice the peppers, mango, cucumbers, cabbage, and carrots so that they are about the same size as the edamame.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled edamame with all of the diced fruits and vegetables.
  4. Drizzle the dressing ingredients over the salad and toss well to mix.
  5. Transfer the salad to a serving dish, then garnish with cashews.

Leave a Comment

Please Share Your Thoughts!

Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.

Thanks for contributing to our community! Your comment will appear shortly.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Be the first to comment on this recipe