Cucumber Edamame Salad with Ginger Dressing

Get ready to shake things up with our refreshing and flavourful cucumber edamame salad recipe. Packed with crunchy cucumbers, protein-packed edamame, avocado, and a zesty ginger dressing, this simple, under 20-minute salad recipe is anything but ordinary.

Why You’ll Love Our Cucumber Edamame Salad 

If you’re looking for a refreshing salad that is easy to make in under 20 minutes and captures the essence of vibrant, fresh flavours, this cucumber edamame salad is just what you need. 

I love this recipe because it combines a medley of textures and tastes. The refreshing cucumbers, crunchy protein-packed edamame, and sweet corn, combined with the creamy richness of avocado, are perfectly balanced by the umami of soy sauce and the zing of fresh ginger, creating a delicious and harmonious dish.

Just like our 5 bean salad or chickpea feta salad, I love to serve it as an easy side dish for fish, chicken, or noodles. Alternatively, you can serve edamame cucumber salad as an appetiser – use crackers as a scoop to devour the whole bowl. 

There are no soggy leaves, which makes this a great salad recipe to transport for lunches, potluck gatherings, and picnics. It can also be divided into individual mason jars for weekly meal prep. 

This vegan cucumber edamame salad is packed with wholesome ingredients that feel so satisfying. No rabbit food salad here at all. 

What is Edamame?

Edamame are edible soybeans that are picked when they are young and green. Interestingly, they are the same soybeans used to make tofu, soy milk and soy sauce when they mature. You can buy edamame whole in pods or already deshelled with just the beans. 

Edamame is known for its high protein content and zero fat, which makes it a very healthy ingredient. We love using edamame for salads like our Edamame Pasta Salad and Oyster Mushroom Soba Noodle Salad. It is also a fantastic snack in lunchboxes or as an appetiser. 

Can I Use Frozen Edamame, and How Should I Prepare It?

I haven’t seen fresh edamame here in Australia before. We usually buy frozen edamame pods and shelled edamame and store them in the freezer, ready to use anytime. 

To prepare frozen edamame, you can either blanch it for a few minutes quickly or steam it until al dente. If I am only cooking a small portion, I often pour boiling water over it in a bowl and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. It is very simple to cook edamame. 

If you like our cucumber edamame salad, you might also want to try other salads like Cucumber Finger Lime Salad and Spicy Smashed Cucumber.

Ingredients

These are the main ingredients you need for cucumber edamame salad:

• Edamame: Young, green soybeans that add a crunchy texture and a boost of plant-based protein to the salad.

• Cucumbers: I prefer Persian cucumbers for this salad as I am too lazy to peel. They have thin skin and few seeds but still have a refreshing crunch.

• Avocado: My favourite is Hass avocado, as I love the creamy flavours, but you do you! Be sure the avocado is ripe but still firm. You don’t want mushy avocado in the salad. 

• Corn: Sweet and juicy, corn kernels bring a burst of sweetness and colour to the salad. You can use canned corn, frozen corn or fresh corn off the cob. 

• Green onions (Spring onions): Mild and slightly sweet, green onions add a fresh, onion-like flavour. I tend to use both white and green parts of green onions in my salads.

• Toasted sesame seeds: Nutty and crunchy, these seeds enhance the flavour and texture of the dish. I used both black and white sesame seeds only because I like the contrasting colours against the green hues. However, you can use either one, which is fine. 

• Soy sauce: Quality light soy sauce is essential for sauces and dressings in your pantry. If you need a gluten-free salad, use tamari instead.

• Sesame oil: I love sesame oil’s fragrant, rich, nutty flavour, which complements the other ingredients.

• Rice wine vinegar: Light and slightly tangy, it adds a delicate acidity to the dressing.

• Lemon:  Adds a bright, citrusy note and balances the richness of soy sauce.

• Ginger: Fresh and zingy, ginger provides a subtle heat and aromatic depth to the dressing.

Variations and Substitutions

Different types of cucumber: You can use other types of cucumbers like English cucumbers, regular garden cucumbers or even baby cucumbers like our Golden berry salad. Just be sure to peel and deseed them if they have tough skin or large seeds to maintain the salad’s desired texture.

Substitute for rice wine vinegar: If you don’t have rice wine vinegar (aka rice vinegar), you can substitute it with apple cider vinegar. 

Additional ingredients: To bulk up this salad, you can add leftover chicken, salmon, soba noodles, orzo or quinoa to the salad for a complete meal.

Other ingredients you can add such as bell peppers, celery, garlic, cashew nuts, 

Extra spiciness: For a little extra punch of flavour, I like to add shichimi togarashi Japanese chilli pepper flakes. This is totally optional. You can use red chilli flakes if you can’t find shichimi togarashi. 

Gluten free salad: If you need a gluten free salad, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Alternative dressing: If you prefer a creamier salad, try our creamy garlic dressing. It would work well with this salad as well. 

Serve as an appetiser: This vegan edamame salad can be served over rice crackers or lettuce cups for something a little different. You can make your own crispy rice paper crackers by shallow-frying cut pieces of rice paper in hot oil.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for how to make cucumber edamame salad:

How to Make The Salad

Blanch edamame beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Drain edamame beans and set aside for assembly.

Cut cucumber into small pieces.

Peel and cut avocado into cubes.

Thinly slice green onions into small rounds.

Drain corn kernels if using canned or defrost frozen corn kernels with boiling water.  

How to Make Soy Ginger Dressing  

In a small bowl, add dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined.  

How to Assemble the Salad

In a large bowl, add edamame, cucumber, avocado and corn together.

Add salad dressing and mix together. 

Scatter chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds on top. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Great Mains for This Salad

What to serve with cucumber edamame salad? Try these delicious recipes:

Sometimes you’re just after a simple meal and nothing beats the comfort of Filipino chicken adobo or for a vegan meal try this vegan tofu fried rice instead. For a light lunch, opt for some home made California rolls.

Frequently Asked Questions