Sesame-Ginger Tofu and Edamame Salad

Here’s an easy baked tofu and edamame salad recipe that pairs perfectly with Asian-inspired rice or noodle dishes, or keep the simple with vegan spring rolls from the frozen foods aisle. It’s an offbeat chopped salad that can be served year round.

Ready-to-use baked tofu and buttery-tasting edamame (fresh green soybeans) are teamed with bell pepper, zucchini, and celery, and enveloped in sesame-ginger dressing.

What to serve with tofu and edamame salad

Here are a few suggestions for noodle or rice dishes to pair with this dish:

• Peanut Satay Soba Noodles with Cucumber
• Stir-Fried Soba Noodles with Corn and Cabbage
• Gingery Bok Choy Fried Rice

With any of these choices, cherry or grape tomatoes and/or baby carrots add color to the plate. For extra fun, complete the meal with vegetable spring rolls from your grocery’s frozen foods section.

Ingredients for this salad

• Frozen shelled edamame (or about 4 cups fresh, in the shell)
• Pine nuts (1/4 cup) or walnuts (1/2 cup chopped)
• Zucchini (1/2 medium or 1 small)
• Orange or red bell pepper (1 medium)
• Celery (2 large stalks)
• Baked tofu (8-ounce package)
• Scallions
• Sesame ginger salad dressing, bottled or homemade
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Mixed baby greens (2 to 3 ounces)

Edamame, in and out of the shell

About edamame

Sometimes called fresh green soybeans, edamame are basically immature soybeans. Resembling baby lima beans with less mealiness and more flavor, edamame (eda-MA-may) are a popular appetizer in Japanese restaurants. They’re usually served in the pod, ready to be popped open — that’s half of the fun!

Edamame have a lot going for them, with a good protein and fiber profile. They provide generous amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin K and folate. Learn more about how to use and enjoy edamame, and see their complete nutritional profile. 

Use fresh or frozen edamame: In midsummer, you might find fresh edamame in your local farm markets. They’re cooked in the shell for about 8 minutes, then popped open and eaten at room temperature as a snack or to use in recipes like this one.

Otherwise, look for frozen edamame in the freezer section of well-stocked supermarkets and natural foods stores, either in or out of the shell — though in this case, it may be more practical to buy them already shelled. Learn lots more in our Guide to Edamame.

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Explore more …

• Easy, Versatile Recipes Using Baked Tofu
• Succotash-Style Corn and Edamame Salad
• Spring Grain Bowls with Edamame, Bok Choy, & Oranges
• Bean Salad Recipes

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Yield: 4 to 6

Sesame-Ginger Tofu and Edamame Salad

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This is easy edamame salad recipe is a tasty accompaniment to serve with your favorite Asian-inspired rice or noodle dishes.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen shelled edamame (see Note for using fresh)
• 1/4 cup pine nuts or 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small orange or red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 8-ounce package baked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1/3 cup sesame ginger salad dressing, bottled or homemade, plus more for serving (see link to recipe in Notes)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Mixed baby greens as needed

Instructions

1. Cook the frozen edamame according to package directions, then rinse under cool water in a colander until no longer hot; drain well. (If using fresh, refer to Notes.)
2. Toast the nuts of choice on a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden and fragrant. If using pine nuts, watch them carefully, as they go from toasty to burned in no time. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the edamame with the remaining ingredients except the greens in a bowl and toss together.
4. Spread some greens on a platter. Arrange the edamame mixture over them, then scatter the toasted nuts over the top. Serve at once; pass around extra sesame-ginger dressing for individual portions.

Notes

If you’re lucky enough to find fresh edamame, of course, feel free to use them in this recipe. Simply combine about 4 cups of edamame in the shell with water to cover in a saucepan. Bring to a rapid simmer, then turn down the heat and cook gently and steadily for 8 minutes. Drain into a colander and rinse under cool water until no longer hot. Pop out of the shells (which you’ll need to discard) and proceed with the recipe.

Here is our recipe for Homemade Sesame-Ginger Salad Dressing.

Here are lots more plant-forward salads & sides.