This high-protein edamame salad is loaded with feta, fresh dill, and a tangy apple cider vinegar dressing. No cucumber or corn taking up half the bowl, which is why each serving has 12 grams of protein. Ready in 10 minutes and even better the second day.
Edamame Salad with Feta and Dill At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Edamame Salad with Feta and Dill (12g protein)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~10 minutes prep, plus 30 minutes chilling
- 👪 Serves: 6
- 🍽 Calories: ~258 per serving
- 💪 Protein: 12 grams per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Shelled edamame, feta, fresh dill, parsley, red onion, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, vegetarian, high-protein, high-fiber
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This is the best meal prep salad because it never gets soggy, since there's no cucumber or lettuce to water it down. Make it Sunday and eat it all week, on toast, next to grilled chicken, or straight from the container.
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What Makes This Edamame Salad Different
Almost every edamame salad on the internet is Asian-inspired: sesame, peanut, ginger, soy. I love those, and my Asian edamame crunch salad is one of them, but I wanted a Greek version. So this one has dill, feta, red onion, and a Dijon vinaigrette, and it tastes like a Greek salad built on edamame.
It's also the meal prep salad I actually reach for because it has no lettuce or cucumber. It keeps in the fridge for 4 days, and the flavor deepens instead of falling apart.
There's another upside to skipping the filler ingredients: the protein goes way up. Most edamame salads land at 6 to 8 grams a serving because there's barely any edamame in them. This one is four cups, and a cup has 12 grams.
It comes together in about 10 minutes of chopping with no cooking at all, and the herby Dijon dressing is the same one I use on my Mediterranean dense bean salad.
I usually make it to go with my grilled Greek chicken kabobs or top it with my air fryer halloumi cheese.
Jump to:
- Edamame Salad with Feta and Dill At A Glance
- What Makes This Edamame Salad Different
- Is Edamame Salad Healthy?
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Prepare Frozen Edamame for Salad
- How to Make Edamame Salad with Feta (Step-by-Step)
- Tips for the Best Edamame Salad
- Substitutions and Variations
- What to Serve with Edamame Salad
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Edamame Salad FAQs
- More High Protein Salad Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Is Edamame Salad Healthy?
Yes. A cup of this one has 12 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and about 258 calories, and it's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
Most of that protein comes from the edamame. Shelled edamame is a complete plant protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids, which most plant foods don't. Between that and the fiber, a cup actually keeps you full.
For comparison, most edamame salads land at 6 to 8 grams of protein for similar calories, because there's so much less edamame in them.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious! Need I say more?!!
- Beatriz
Ingredients You'll Need
This Greek edamame salad uses shelled edamame, feta, fresh dill and parsley, red onion, and a Dijon vinaigrette made with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Everything is a grocery store staple, and nothing needs cooking.
- Shelled edamame: Buy it frozen and shelled, sometimes labeled mukimame. You need about 20 ounces, which is usually two bags. Skip the ones still in the pod unless you want to shell four cups by hand.
- Feta: Crumbled is fine here. Block feta packed in brine has better flavor if you want to crumble it yourself.
- Fresh dill: The main flavor of the salad, so don't swap in dried. It's the same bunch I'd use for healthy tzatziki if you have leftovers.
- Fresh parsley: Flat-leaf, chopped. It softens the dill so the salad doesn't taste like pickle brine.
- Red onion: Finely diced. Soak it in cold water for 10 minutes if you want the bite mellowed.
- Olive oil and apple cider vinegar: The base of the dressing. Apple cider vinegar is sharper than lemon, which is what you want against the salty feta.
- Dijon mustard: Emulsifies the dressing, helping it cling to the edamame rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: They season the dressing itself rather than sitting on top of the salad. I've made this with fresh minced garlic, and I prefer the powder here since it dissolves into the vinaigrette rather than leaving raw bits that toughen up in the fridge.
- Maple syrup or honey: Optional, and just enough to round out the vinegar.
Scroll to recipe card for quantities!
How to Prepare Frozen Edamame for Salad
Frozen shelled edamame is already cooked, so you don't need to boil it. Thaw it and dry it; that's it.
- Rinse: Dump the frozen edamame into a colander and run cool water over it for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing it with your hands until no icy bits remain.
- Drain: Shake the colander vigorously to get rid of as much water as possible.
- Dry: Spread the edamame on a clean kitchen towel and pat it dry.
Don't skip the drying. Wet edamame thins out the dressing, and it pools at the bottom of the bowl instead of coating anything. This is the step that decides whether the salad tastes seasoned or watery.
How to Make Edamame Salad with Feta (Step-by-Step)
This Greek edamame salad comes together in one bowl in about 10 minutes. Thaw and dry the edamame, whisk the dressing, toss, then chill for 30 minutes before serving.
- Step 1: Thaw the edamame. Run the frozen edamame under cool water in a colander for 2 to 3 minutes until there are no icy bits left. Shake off as much water as you can.
- Step 2: Pat it dry. Spread it on a clean towel and pat dry. Wet edamame thins the dressing so it slides right off.
- Step 3: Toss it together. Add the edamame, red onion, feta, dill, and parsley to a large bowl. Whisk the dressing, pour it over, and toss until everything is glossy.
- Step 4: Chill for 30 minutes. The edamame soaks up the dressing, and the dill mellows into everything. Taste and adjust the salt before serving.
Tips for the Best Edamame Salad
- Dry the edamame well: Wet beans thin the dressing, and it slides right off. Pat them dry on a towel before anything else goes in the bowl.
- Make the salad before the protein: It needs 30 minutes in the fridge anyway, so start it first, and it'll be ready by the time dinner is.
- It's best on day 2 and 3: The dressing settles into the edamame, and the dill stops tasting like a separate ingredient. Day one is good. Day two is when I actually want to eat it.
- Dice the onion small: Quarter-inch or smaller. Big pieces of raw red onion take over every bite they're in.
- Salt at the end, not the start: Feta is salty, and it varies a lot by brand. Taste after it's chilled, then adjust.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it dairy-free and vegan: Skip the feta and add a diced avocado instead. You lose the salty bite, so add an extra pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Protein drops from 12 grams per serving to about 9 grams.
- Use fresh dill, not dried: Dried goes dusty and flat, and the dill is the whole point of this salad.
- Swap the herbs: Fresh mint can replace some of the dill if you want it brighter. Cilantro pulls it Latin-inspired instead of Greek.
- No apple cider vinegar? White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar both work. Lemon juice works too, but it's softer, so you'll want a little less oil.
- No Dijon? Any grainy or yellow mustard will emulsify the dressing; it'll just taste slightly different.
- Add crunch: Toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds add texture without any extra moisture. Diced cucumber works too, but stir it in right before serving, since it can water down the dressing overnight.
- Make it a full meal: Stir in a cup of cooked quinoa or a rinsed 15-ounce can of chickpeas, similar to my Mediterranean quinoa tabbouleh salad. It bulks it out without watering it down.
What to Serve with Edamame Salad
This Greek edamame salad works as a side to almost any grilled protein, and since it's served cold, there's nothing to time.
- Chicken: Grilled Greek yogurt marinated chicken is the pairing I make most, since it's the same flavor family. Air fryer skinless chicken thighs work on a weeknight when you don't want to fire up the grill.
- Seafood: Everything bagel crusted salmon or oven baked shrimp skewers. The vinegar in the dressing cuts through the richness.
- Burgers: Greek turkey burgers, on a bun or over rice.
- Vegetarian: Halloumi gyros, with the salad spooned right into the pita.
- Making a whole Greek dinner? Add blender hummus and warm pita, and you've got the full spread.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Storing: Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It doesn't get soggy, since there's no lettuce or cucumber in it.
- Making it ahead: Make it the night before if you're serving it to people. It's actually best on day 2 and 3, once the dressing has settled into the edamame.
- Freezing: Don't. The feta turns grainy, and the herbs go to mush.
Edamame Salad FAQs
No. Frozen shelled edamame is already cooked, so you just need to thaw it. Run it under cool water for 2 to 3 minutes, then pat it dry before it goes in the bowl.
Bright and salty, like a Greek salad without the lettuce. The dill leads, the feta brings the salt, and the apple cider vinegar keeps it sharp instead of heavy. The edamame stays firm and a little sweet.
Yes, up to a day ahead. It's better made ahead, since the edamame soaks up more of the dressing.
Up to 4 days in an airtight container. There's no lettuce or cucumber to go soggy, so it holds all week.
Goat cheese works if you want it creamier. For dairy-free, skip the cheese and add a diced avocado plus an extra pinch of salt.
Mukimame is shelled edamame. That's what you want here, and it's what you'll usually find in the frozen vegetable section.
More High Protein Salad Recipes
If you loved this Greek edamame salad, here are a few more to try next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Edamame Salad with Feta and Dill
Ingredients
Salad:
- 20 oz frozen shelled edamame, thawed (about 4 cups, usually 2 bags)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes if you want to mellow the bite
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (add more if you want it extra herby)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, optional for a little sweetness
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Thaw the edamame: Add the frozen edamame to a colander and run cool water over it for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing with your hands until no icy bits are left. Shake off as much water as you can and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Wet edamame waters down the dressing, so this part matters.
- Build the salad: Add the edamame, red onion, feta, dill, and parsley to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl until smooth and emulsified.
- Dress and toss: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated. You want the edamame glossy, not swimming.
- Let it chill: Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This is the step people skip, and it makes all the difference. The edamame soaks up the dressing and the herbs mellow into everything.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Beatriz says
Quick / easy / delicious and nutritious!
Need I say more?!!