The internet has been all abuzz lately with stories about back to school – which of course includes school lunches.
Don’t worry – this post isn’t about school lunches!!
But the subject got me thinking about my own lunches – which are not always the most balanced. Sometimes I get so busy I forget to eat (I know, I know, HOW is that possible??) and sometimes I grab whatever is easiest – when I’m “on my game” that generally means some homemade hummus or a salad – when I’m not, well it’s generally a piece of cheese and a piece of fruit. So, I thought I’d come up with a new salad to add to the “rotation”. The calendar is getting busier and so having things in the fridge that I can just grab and eat is more important than ever!
Like just about everyone else, I am trying to work more and more vegetables into my diet and this salad is chock full of them.
After I made it I ate it “as is” – but I also tried it tossed with greens and it was great that way too!
Ingredients
- Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. chopped ginger
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Salad:
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1/4 tsp. szechwan pepper Or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a blender combine all the dressing ingredients except the canola oil. Blend until the ginger and garlic are finely minced. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine.
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
This salad looks so bright and inviting – like you I struggle to do what we all know we should be doing – veggies, exercise, living in the moment…
Love everything about this salad! Nice work!
Thanks Maria!! It’s very tasty and I love that I can make it ahead of time!!
I love every single ingredient in this!
Ah, great minds think alike!:-)!!!
After all I ate last night, I could use a fresh salad like this.
I know EXACTLY what you mean!!!
This looks so healthy and flavorful. A great combo! Love it.
The orange and ginger sound great together in the dressing. Homemade dressings are the best!
I agree Judy and they truly are simple to make… I always wonder why people don’t make them when they are so much better!
Beautiful salad Nancy and I’m with you on making your own dressings. I can not remember the last time I had a bottle of dressing in my fridge but I can guarantee you it was Hidden Valley Ranch. No matter that my daughter would eat all those I made for salads; she had to have that dressing and only that dressing for french fries. Go figure huh?
It is funny how our kids have their own little quirks!!!
Mmmm, now this is something I could dive into. Looks so healthy and delicious!
It definitely is…. on both counts!!
Nancy I just love this lunch…for at home or the lunch box
Me too Marla – this salad holds really well so it’s perfect!!
I could have written this myself and I will take inspiration from it. I know you are a healthy eater, but a few veggies at lunch is great idea for us all. GREG
Isn’t it the truth?? I definitely need to make more of these types of salads so I’m not tempted to eat poorly!
This is my kind of salad with a Nancy spin on it!
I thought this might appeal to you!!! Had it for lunch the other day… it was good!!
mmmm…. love salads like these! So crunchy and yummy!
I do too.. a nice change from greens! Thanks so much for stopping by Katie!
Love those colors, and I can almost taste that crunch. Great recipe!
Thanks Cathy!! This was fun to make and to shoot!
They say you eat with your eyes first…I just devoured that dish!
Hi Sandy!!
Awww.. thank you so much!!! So glad you stopped by!!!
Looks amazing! I love everything based on veggies or herbs, and this salad is so inspiring! Never had edamame before, but sounds like another type of beans I will love. I must check if I can find it in my area.
Hi Zerrin!! This is a very easy salad to make and holds very well!! In my area edamame is always in the freezer section – hope you can find some!!!
Looks great! I love edamame in salads!
Hi Natalie!! I love edamame in salads too – the best part is they don’t wilt!!
that is so my kind of dressing. I cannot wait to try this, Nancy. I love all of your recipes and I know that this one is going to be a huge success in my house!
That is so sweet!! I hope you enjoy this – the dressing is very light and so you can definitely taste the veggies – hope you enjoy it!!
This is wonderful, Nancy! I actually have an edamame salad on the menu today, but I’m thinking this one looks much more tempting.
Thanks Dara – my husband even liked it.. which is truly saying something since he does not, as a rule, like beans of any sort!!
Fantastic salad, thanks for posting – I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow!
Hi Cat!! I hope you like it!!
love you blog and recipe….I posted it on my community blog. Hope you can come check it out http://www.facebook.com/thefrenchiefoodie
C
Hi Charlotte!! Thanks for posting the Edamame salad to your facebook page! Hope you enjoy it!!
OMG this salad is absolutely delicious. So love the ginger vinaigrette. My husband and son loved it and asked me to pack some in their lunch for the next day. I doubled up on the vegetables used more like 1 cup of each. I wouldn’t change anything on this recipe. Found your site while reviewing Kayln’s Kitchen. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Chris!!
So happy that you and your family loved the salad! Adding the additional vegetables sounds terrific – the best thing about these kinds of recipes is that you can adapt them !!!
Thank you for the post! I eat salad most days for lunch, which can get boring sometimes. I tried this instead, and I really love the combination of flavors. It was a welcome change from the norm for me. Thanks again!
Hi Joy!
I am SO happy you enjoyed the salad – nothing makes me happier than hearing from people who have enjoyed the recipes on this site … you truly made my day!!
This picture looked so good, then I read the ingredients and HAD to make it! All I can say is WOOOOWWWW!!! I LOVE this dressing, and the fusion of other ingredients gives my tastebuds an orgasm! I made this salad for a large group of ladies gathering for a networking luncheon tomorrow (I tripled the recipe); I can’t wait to see their reaction to this delicious salad – THANK YOU!!!
Hi Kelli,
Awww… thank you so much for your kind words, you truly made my week!! I hope the ladies like the salad!!!
I added black beans to stretch the salad an it’s delicious. Your dressing is amazing! I love this salad
Hello Jessa!! SO glad you liked the salad and I think adding the black beans was brilliant – I bet the colors were gorgeous too!!