Sesame Edamame Salad

This edamame salad is full of flavour, fibre, and protein!

1 cup of shelled (i.e., out of the shell) edamame contains close to 30g of protein and ~8g of fibre all on its own. Most of us in North America don't get enough fibre (25-30g per day) and plants are the way to get this nutrient so important for digestion and the heart. Here's a post all on fibre to help you out.

Soy – and its antioxidant compounds called isoflavones – are great for overall hormone health, from PMS to hot flashes. This recipe is really easy to make and you can customize the ingredients according to your preferences and what's lying around your kitchen. In fact, I always have frozen shelled edamame in my freezer as it's SO versatile! I add it to stir-fries, rice, soups, and salads all the time.

Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup of shelled (as in: no shell), boiled, and drained edamame
• 1 English cucumber
• 2 medium-sized carrots
• 1 cup leafy green of choice, chopped finely
• 1-2 stalks of green onions, chopped finely
• 1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped finely
• Optional: ½ mango, julienned
• Optional: 1 tsp sesame seeds (black, white, or mix) to sprinkle on top

Dressing:

• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp (rice wine) vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar also work)
• 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tsp liquid sweetener (agave, honey, maple syrup, etc.)
• Optional: fresh/powdered ginger and garlic, black pepper

Add your base ingredients to a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients (adjust to suit your taste), mix into the salad, and enjoy!

This probably makes around two servings on its own or more if you have it as a side salad. You could throw in some soba noodles right into the salad too to make a heartier/more robust meal!

(The picture is a stock image, so doesn't accurately depict the above ingredients. You can obviously add/sub in other ingredients of your choosing!).