If you like edamame, you’ll love this Edamame Salad! Made with fresh cucumbers, crunchy red peppers, and creamy feta cheese, it’s a healthy, flavor-filled side dish that’s sure to be a new favorite!

I partnered with Best Food Facts to bring you this recipe.

Let’s talk edamame! It has long been one of our family’s favorites… not only straight from the pod, but as an addition to so many delicious recipes. It has a firm, hearty texture that holds up especially well in salads, and this Edamame Salad just happens to be THE BEST. Not only is it packed with fresh edamame, but it also has crispy cucumbers (our favorite), red onion, red pepper, and feta cheese for a flavor combination that always hits the spot!

It’s one of those recipes that makes you fall in love with edamame all over again… which is exactly what happened to me on a recent trip with Best Food Facts. The focus of the trip was all things soy – from talking with soy farmers to learning from a dietitian about soy nutrition to cooking with soy products. Not the least of which was edamame!

And let’s just say… by the end of the trip I had a new found passion, not only for edamame, but for soy foods in general. And if you read on below, I’ll tell you exactly why!

What you’ll need for this recipe

Shelled edamame (aka mukimame) – This recipe calls for about 2 1/3 cups of shelled edamame, which can be found in the frozen food section near the frozen vegetables. It can either be purchased in the shell (edamame) or pre-shelled (mukimame).

Cucumbers – Cucumbers are the perfect pairing for edamame and add a delicious crunch to this salad. I added 1 1/2 cups of chopped mini (Persian) cucumbers, but you can feel free to use regular or English cucumbers instead.

Red pepper – 1 cup of red pepper adds the perfect flavor, color, and texture to this salad. I used a regular sized bell pepper, chopped, but you can feel free to use mini peppers sliced into rings. You can also substitute any color pepper you prefer.

Red onion – I added 1/3 cup of finely chopped red pepper, not only for an extra pop of color, but also for the distinct flavor it adds. If you’re looking to substitute a different type of onion, I would suggest green. White would also pair well, but would have more of a pungent flavor.

Feta cheese – I used 8 ounces of feta cheese to add a creamy element to this salad. If you prefer, you can substitute crumbled in place of cubed, although I prefer the flavor and texture of chunk feta.

Vinaigrette – A simple vinaigrette made of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh parsley, salt & pepper is just enough to pull out the flavors in this salad. Not a parsley fan? Feel free to substitute minced cilantro or any of your favorite fresh herbs!

How to make Edamame Salad

Prep the veggies. Prepare the veggies by shelling the edamame (if necessary) and chopping the cucumbers, peppers, and red onion. Set them aside.

Cube or crumble the cheese. If you’re using chunk feta cheese, prepare it by crumbling it or chopping it into 1/2 inch pieces. If you’re using crumbled feta, you can skip this recipe.

Mix the vinaigrette. Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar or other container with a lid. Close the lid and shake well.

Assemble & enjoy. Add the edamame, cucumbers, peppers, red onion, feta, and vinaigrette to a medium mixing bowl. Toss until combined. Enjoy!

A few weeks back, I attended the Best Food Facts 2022 Taste Tour, where I learned all about the ins and outs of soybeans. I visited a soybean farm and spoke with numerous farmers about sustainability practices, I spoke with a registered dietitian about the the health aspects of soy, I tried a number of soy-based foods, and I also had the opportunity to practice cooking with soy. By the end of the experience, I was blown away, not only by the passion and thoughtfulness that goes into soybean production, but also by the huge nutritional benefits they possess.

Soy farmers have a number of sustainability measures in place to ensure they protect the soil, and thus our food supply, for generations to come. Some of these practices include implementing a no-till farming method, planting cover crops to aid in soil health, and using a livestock system whereby a portion of the crops goes to feed the livestock and the manure from the livestock is applied back to the crops, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Slightly controversial but also common is the use of GMO soybeans, which allow farmers to use significantly less insecticide and herbicide. In speaking to the registered dietitian, Charlotte Rommereim, the National Academy of Science’s review of genetic engineering states that since 1996, there have been no health concerns with genetically engineered products. For more about the health implications of soy, see above.

What I found most enlightening, in addition to the many health benefits of soy, was the fact that for farmers, sustainability isn’t a buzzword. It’s a way of life. As one farmer put it, “sustainability is just good farming practices. General practices have always been aimed at sustainability, but farmers are constantly learning how to do it better.”