Spicy Cucumber Edamame Salad
A bowl of vegetables you’ll actually want to eat! This single-serve spicy cucumber edamame salad is bursting with flavor and nutrition.
Vegetables can be boring and bland, to say the least.
And even though I’m a dietitian, I don’t want you fighting back tears eating bowls of plain carrots and broccoli in the name of health. Vegetables can (and should) taste good — it’s just about finding the right recipes.
That’s why I know you’ll love this spicy cucumber edamame salad as much as I do. It’s hands down the tastiest way to eat green vegetables, it’s loaded with protein, and it’s actually easy to make. Scroll down to learn how!
Why you’ll love it
High protein: This snack-sized edamame cucumber salad contains 11 grams of protein to keep you full and support weight loss goals.
Lots of fiber: One serving contains 4 grams of dietary fiber for good digestion and health.
Fun to eat: I suggest scooping this salad with chips or crackers for ultimate satisfaction.
Super easy: All my recipes are easy, but this is one is on another level. No cooking required!
Portable: You can easily prepare this ahead of time and pack for work or school.
Salad ingredients
You’ll need four simple ingredients for the base of this salad:
- Frozen shelled edamame — Simply defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter in 1-2 hours
- Cucumber — chopped up nice and small
- Feta cheese — you can swap this for cubed avocado for a plant-based salad
- Green onion — for flavor
- Sesame salad dressing — store bought or make your own with the ingredients below
Spicy sesame vinaigrette
If you want to make your own dressing, this one is super easy and delicious!
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Sesame oil — get the toasted kind for more flavor
- Soy sauce
- Chili crisp condiment
- Honey — brown sugar or maple syrup work too
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic — optional but yummy
What’s a good store bought dressing for this?
Look for any asian-style vinaigrette you enjoy! This one from Primal Kitchen would work well.
How to make
Here’s how to make your spicy cucumber edamame salad.
In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for your salad dressing until combined. If you’re using store bought dressing, skip this step.
In a separate bowl, add salad ingredients and dressing. Stir until vegetables are well-coated.
Serve with chips or crackers and enjoy!
How to serve
You can eat this spicy cucumber edamame salad with a spoon… it’s that good!
Or, scoop it with tortilla chips or crackers (this is my personal favorite).
It would also be great on top of a savory cottage cheese bowl, avocado toast, salad greens, rice, or scooped with roasted seaweed snacks.
What else could I add to this?
For more veggies, add:
- More chopped cucumber
- Chopped mini bell peppers
- Diced avocado
For more protein, add:
- Extra edamame
- More feta cheese
- Flaked canned tuna
- Flaked canned salmon
This salad is super customizable! But if you add a lot of other mix-ins, you might want to double the amount of dressing.
Make-ahead instructions
If you’re making this ahead of time, store vegetables and salad dressing separately.
Add your salad ingredients to a food container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to three days. Mix your salad dressing in advance and store in a separate leak-proof container.
If you’re serving with tortilla chips or crackers, store those separately too.
Frequently asked questions
Nope! Simple defrost your frozen edamame in the fridge overnight. It can also be defrosted on the counter in 1-2 hours.
Make this spicy cucumber edamame salad fully plant-based (and dairy-free) by swapping feta cheese for diced avocado. To make it vegan, sub the honey for maple syrup or sugar as well.
Absolutely! Simply multiply this recipe by however many servings you’d like.
Yes, you can eat this salad as a meal but double the portion size!
Spicy Cucumber Edamame Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, defrosted
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese, or 1/4 avocado diced
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1 Tbsp sesame dressing, store bought or use recipe below
spicy sesame vinaigrette
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp chili crisp
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove minced garlic, optional
For Serving
- Tortilla chips or crackers
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for your salad dressing until combined. If you're using store bought dressing, skip this step.
- In a separate bowl, add salad ingredients and dressing. Stir until vegetables are well-coated.
- Serve with chips or crackers and enjoy!
So delicious and satisfying! I can’t stop making this. Last time I tripled the recipe and it was still gone within 24hours.
This makes me SO happy! Thank you so much for your review!
I made a big batch the the kids and me to have for lunch, we scooped with Fritos, yummy!
Oh my gosh, Fritos are a genius scooper! Thanks so much for your review.
Easy and very yummy! This is a winner. I enjoyed it on a bed of quinoa and red lentils, but tortilla chips worked great too!
Great recipe. Really light and refreshing! I cut the oil in half and used one whole lime. I also added the Everything but Elote Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. Phenomenal side.