Brown rice edamame salad with carrots is great warm, room temp or cold and leftovers are an excellent lunch!
Edamame has long been one of my favorite salty snacks.
Especially to order at Asian or sushi restaurants.
At home though, I use the frozen kind that’s already out of the shell. So fast, so easy.
I make a spicy edamame dip for snacking. And this edamame, carrot and cucumber salad is a snazzy little side dish.
Oh and I love having this smashed edamame salad on some toast for a light lunch.
Today though, we're making a brown rice edamame salad that's also got carrots and a super easy, super delicious soy ginger dressing to bring it all together.
There's just SO much flavor happening here.
We've got chewy, perfectly cooked brown rice, crunchy matchstick carrots, pops of flavor from the edamame and that umami burst from the dressing.
Also, you can serve this salad warm, at room temperature or chilled.
It makes a great side to take to a neighborhood party or to a friend, or just to prep ahead and let it hang out until you’re ready to eat.
So good. You'll be going back for forkful after forkful.
And bonus points because it's gluten-free, dairy free and vegan as well.
So let's get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make brown rice salad with edamame. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Rice: I use and love brown rice, but you could also swap in white rice for this recipe if you prefer.
- Edamame: As mentioned, I prefer the frozen, shelled edamame. It's just easy and ready to go. Follow the package instructions to cook your edamame so it's ready to use in this recipe.
- Carrots: You can buy a bag of shredded matchstick carrots at the store. Or you could use a box grater and make your own carrot sticks.
- Dressing: The dressing takes just 5 minutes to shake together in a jar and is so very flavorful. But of course, you could also substitute your favorite store-bought Asian-style dressing if you prefer.
This brown rice edamame salad goes wonderfully with grilled or broiled fish or chicken, and the leftovers make a perfect lunch.
You can even add some chopped peanuts to this and call it a light vegetarian dinner. Or add some leftover rotisserie chicken to the mix and make it a full-on carnivore dinner salad.
So many options but delicious every way.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Brown Rice Edamame Salad with Carrots
An easy brown rice salad with edamame, carrots and a delicious soy ginger dressing! It's a great side dish and can be served warm, room temperature or cold.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 ½ cups frozen edamame, cooked
- 1 heaping cup matchstick carrots
- ¼ cup green onions, sliced, light green and green parts only
- Sesame seeds, for garnish, if desired
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon spicy chile and garlic sauce (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (or sub a heaping ½ teaspoon of ground ginger)
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice according to the package instructions. (Or see my post on how to make perfect brown rice.)
- Meanwhile, cook the edamame. I add mine, still frozen, to boiling water and let cook for 5-6 minutes, then drain. Check your package directions.
- Mix up the soy ginger dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake until well combined.
- Add the edamame to a bowl with the carrots and sliced green onions. Once the rice is ready, add that to the bowl and mix everything together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad. I start with about ⅔ of the jar and add more if needed.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy warm, at room temperature or cold from the fridge.
Notes
Rice: I use and love brown rice, but you could also swap in white rice for this recipe if you prefer.
Edamame: As mentioned, I prefer the frozen, shelled edamame. It's just easy and ready to go. Follow the package instructions to cook your edamame so it's ready to use in this recipe.
Carrots: You can buy a bag of shredded matchstick carrots at the store. Or you could use a box grater and make your own carrot sticks.
Dressing: The dressing takes just 5 minutes to shake together in a jar and is so very flavorful. But of course, you could also substitute your favorite store-bought Asian-style dressing if you prefer.
Chili garlic sauce: You can sub about 1 teaspoon hot sauce and 1 teaspoon minced garlic for the chili garlic sauce in the dressing if you prefer. This comes out with a bit of a kick, medium heat I'd say, so adjust to your spice level liking.
Additions: You can add chopped peanuts to make this a vegetarian main dish. Or fold in some leftover or rotisserie chicken and make it a dinner.
Storage: This salad can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 203Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 129mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 10g
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Hahaha! What a sweet story about your first date with the hubby. I love edamame so much and always keep a bag of the whole pods in the freezer. The kind of bag that you pop in the microwave and steam them in four minutes. Easy peasy snack. Your recipe is perfect as a side dish for dinner and then leftovers for lunch through the week. Yummy and healthy!
Kathryn
Thanks Karrie! I'm such a fan of edamame too - it's so light and healthy - and so addictive! Could snack on them all day long 🙂 And yes, I love having extra of this to eat for lunch throughout the week. Nom nom nom... hope you're having a wonderful week! XO
Michele
Do you know the calories per serving?
Kathryn
Hi Michele, I don't calculate the calories for my recipes, but you could plug the ingredients into an online calorie counter to find out. Thanks for stopping by!
Esther
This looks absolutely delicious. It's only 9am but I'm already craving it.
Esther
Just made it for lunch. Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
Kathryn
So glad you liked it, Esther! And I've been known to munch on this salad in the mornings, so a 9am craving sounds completely normal to me 😉