Edamame Quinoa Salad Citrus (Printable)

Protein-packed quinoa and edamame with fresh vegetables in zesty citrus dressing. Perfect for meal prep and healthy eating.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains and Legumes

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1 cup shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cucumber, diced
07 - 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
02 - Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool completely.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, edamame, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, parsley, and mint.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined.
05 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste.
06 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of salad that tastes even better the next day when the dressing has had time to settle into every grain.
  • You can make it once and eat it three times without getting bored, which is honestly a quiet victory on busy weeks.
02 -
  • Rinsing the quinoa is genuinely crucial because otherwise it has a bitter coating that nobody enjoys, and it's such a small step that makes an enormous difference.
  • Making this salad the night before actually improves it because the dressing soaks into the grains while everything chills, but add any raw vegetables just before serving to maintain crunch.
03 -
  • Always taste the dressing before pouring it on the salad—this is your only chance to adjust seasoning without it being impossible to fix later.
  • If you're packing this for lunch, keep the dressing in a separate container and add it right before eating to maintain maximum crunch.
Go back