This quinoa salad with edamame and broccoli slaw is crunchy, healthful and finished with a citrus-soy vinaigrette to give it big zippy flavor!
I brought this quinoa salad to a holiday gingerbread house decorating party last month and it was such a hit!
All my girl friends wanted to know if the recipe was up on the blog and I had to say no, I hadn’t even fully written it out yet, was still just playing with the recipe.
But after the rave reviews, I knew I had to get it up to share with all of you!
So of course, I went and made it again the next week to tweak and finalize and photograph.
And let me just say, it was fine by me to eat on it all week for lunch!
The crunch from the broccoli slaw and the edamame works really well with the soft, fluffy quinoa.
And then it all gets coated in the glorious citrus soy dressing, featuring lime and orange juice, plus the savory notes of soy sauce and sesame oil.
I of course prefer it with a hit of sriracha sauce, too. Yes please!
(Feel free to leave it out, of course, if you aren't a fan or are sensitive to spicy foods.)
This salad is just so fresh and so packed with flavor!
The quinoa here needs to be cooked and cooled ahead of assembling the salad, though, so please plan accordingly!
(I included some time for that in the recipe card time notes below, but you could also make the quinoa well in advance.)
Also, this salad is best in the first 24 hours of making it. After that, the veggies start to lunch some of their crunch. Still good taste, but much less texture.
This salad is vegan as is, and would be an excellent light dinner for those New Years resolutions.
You could also add some leftover or rotisserie chicken if you want to round it out and make it a full meal on its own.
It’s also great as a side with some easy Parmesan baked chicken, honey Dijon salmon or spice-rubbed pork chops.
I hope you try this quinoa salad for a bright and fresh winter pick-me-up.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Broccoli Slaw
Ingredients
For the salad:
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 12 oz. package broccoli slaw
- 1 bunch green onions (white and light green parts only), chopped
For the citrus-soy dressing:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (optional)
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions then let cool. Meanwhile, prep remaining ingredients.
- To prepare the salad dressing, mix all ingredients in a small jar, cover and shake well.
- Add the cooked and cooled quinoa to a large bowl. Add thawed edamame, broccoli slaw and green onions.
- Pour the dressing over the salad. (Start with ⅔ of it and add from there.) Stir well to combine and serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate and serve cold within the next day. If you are making this more in advance, store the dressing separately and mix it just a couple of hours before serving.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
This is totally my type of salad, Kathryn!! I most Definitely could eat this for breakfast... and your photos are making me wish I had edamame so I could! The citrusy dressing with a touch of sriracha kick sounds perfect! Pinning! Cheers my dear! <3
Kathryn
Thanks Cheyanne! It's addicting in the best of ways! And you know I love some sriracha in my salad dressings 🙂
Nancy |Plus Ate Six
I love the crunch of this salad. And you're so right - sriracha goes with everything. Pretty sure it's got it's own food group 🙂
Kathryn
It totally should, Nancy. It totally should 😉
Adina
Lovely looking salad. I am sure it's great although I have never tasted edamame, I have never seen any around here...
Kathryn
I hope you can find some Adina! They are delicious little beans that are full of nutrition and pretty low in calories. They come in a pod but you can buy them already shelled (which is what I always do). Check your freezer section for both types. They're also really popular as an appetizer in sushi restaurants. So addictive!
karrie@TastyEverAfter
Firstly, love everything about this recipe and that dressing will be a staple in my refrig (no doubt!). Secondly, where and when does this holiday gingerbread house decorating party take place this year cause I am crashing it 😉
Kathryn
Please come join us, Karrie! I will bring bourbon for us and we can team up to build a spectacular gingerbread mansion! XO
Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry
Ooh, I'm so glad you decided to tweak and photograph this one afterwards!! Edamame are one of my favourite treats when we go out for Japanese, but I've never made anything with them at home. All served up with a citrus-soy vinaigrette? Count me IN! 😀
Kathryn
Thanks Lisa! Definitely pick up some frozen edamame at the store next time - I love having it around for snacking on and throwing into salads. So super tasty!
Willow | Will Cook For Friends
I agree -- a little siracha in everything! I have been loving broccoli slaws lately. I don't usually make them, though, I just eat copious amounts of them when other people make them... that needs to change, starting with this! That dressing sounds amazing, and I love the addition of quinoa. Adding this to my must-make list!
Kathryn
Thanks Willow! Glad we're on the same page about sriracha being a good addition to everything!
Frugal Hausfrau
Gorgeous! And that citrus soy dressing sounds amazing! I'd put it on all kinds of things!
Thanks for linking up with us on Throwback Thursday - we appreciate it, and are always looking forward to next week's posts, too!! 🙂 Be sure to follow our pinterest board, too! 🙂
Mollie
Kathryn
Thanks Mollie! The dressing is SO tasty - I definitely like to keep on hand for drizzling on ALL the foods!
Katie Crenshaw
Kathryn, this looks fabulous!!! The salad dressing looks amazing. I can only imagine how good it must taste. I will be adding this to my must tries!!! Yum!
Kathryn
Thanks Katie! The salad is so bright and fresh and the dressing is definitely killer 🙂