Rainbow Salad with Edamame and Sesame Dressing

Rainbow Salad with Edamame and Sesame Dressing! A vibrant meal packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and veggies.

this Recipe

How gorgeous is this rainbow salad with edamame?!? Enjoy it as a meal or a side dish; it’s a beautiful slaw packed with vegetables, plant-based protein, and fiber. 

I love salads like this to showcase how beautiful and flavorful vegetables can be. Finely chopped and tossed in a sweet sesame dressing, you will love this one. 

This rainbow slaw has a generous serving of edamame, a form of immature soybeans, for additional protein. Great as a snack but also in salads, stir-fries, and bowls. 

See below for more info, or scroll down for the full recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Edamame: The star of this rainbow is hearty edamame. Grab it frozen in the vegetable aisle, then cook and lightly cool before adding to the slaw. You can also find it cooked and ready to eat in the refrigerated section of some grocery stores near the produce aisle. You can find both shelled edamame and edamame still encased in their pods. I use the shelled for ease, but you can also use the edamame in the pod and remove the beans. 
• Cabbage: I like the combination of both red and green cabbage for color, but you can use just one if you’d like. Finely chopped is best for the texture of this salad; you can use a sharp knife or mandolin. 
• Carrots: I use a box shredder for shredding these carrots as it makes for a nicer texture than using pre-shredded carrots, but you can use pre-shredded carrots in a pinch. 
• Almonds: Roasted and sliced almonds add a nice texture to this salad. If you don’t want almonds, you can use roasted chopped cashews or any nut/seed. 

How to Make this Rainbow Salad

Prep all of the ingredients

Prep all of the ingredients for easy assembly of this salad.

Make the dressing

Mix together all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. 

Toss together

Add the vegetables into a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over. Toss together until well coated and taste, adding salt or pepper as needed to flavor. Enjoy!

Health Benefits of Edamame

While I’m not big on the word superfood because there are so many nutrient-dense foods out there, edamame is a super food in my opinion. 

A cup of edamame contains almost 19 g of protein, 12 g of primarily unsaturated fat, and 8 g of fiber. Plus, edamame is a source of calcium, iron, zinc, and folate. My kids love them as a snack (either in the pod or already shelled), and I love adding them to salads like this. 

Soy foods, including soybeans, can be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease. One review study showed that people who consume an average of 25g of soy protein per day reduced their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 3-4%. 

Soybeans are also rich in isoflavones, a plant compound that may help reduce the risk of some cancers, like breast cancer. In traditional Asian diets with a high intake of soybeans, studies have shown that a high intake of isoflavone-rich foods early in life may protect against breast cancer later in life. This is one of the reasons I serve edamame often to my entire family!  

Frequently Asked Questions

More Soy Recipes:

• Vegan Nachos with Chorizo
• Baked Tofu Nuggets
• Tofu Peanut Buddha Bowl 
• Spicy Gochujang Tofu Bowls
• Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Stir Fry 

If you make this rainbow salad with edamame, make sure to come back and leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day! 

I am happy to partner with U.S. Soy on this sponsored post to share the benefits of soy.