This mukimame salad is full of white beans, shelled edamame, cherry tomatoes, shallots, fresh herbs and a tangy vinaigrette that everyone loves! It's an instant picnic classic, and you will find yourself making this Edamame White Bean Salad all summer long.
If you've never experienced the absolute joy in life that eating edamame is, you need to fix that! Go to your favorite family-owned sushi restaurant right now, and order a bowl of edamame as an appetizer. When the pile of bright green pods come to your bowl, they are freshly steamed and sprinkled with coarse salt. Using your fingers and teeth to pop out each soybean is absolute heaven. (Do not eat the pods; do I need to say this?)
When the edamame has already been shelled and the soybeans are out of their pods, they are referred to as mukimame. So, just to review: when the young soybeans are in their pods, they are edamame. When the soybeans are out of their pods, they are mukimake. However, this terminology isn't as widely known as it should be (I'm trying to fix that), so I am naming this recipe edamame and white bean salad, when it should really be 'soybean' or 'mukimame.'
How to Make Edamame White Bean Salad
This hearty, protein-rich, vegan salad is so simple to throw together. I always have a bag of mukimame (shelled edamame) in my freezer, because I love adding it to shrimp fried rice. From there, I grab another can of beans from the pantry (white beans this time), and the protein is set. Yes, you can use black beans, if you want!
The only other additions to the edamame white bean salad is cherry tomatoes, very finely chopped celery for extra crunch, and thinly sliced shallot for their lovely subtle onion vibes. The dressing is an absolute keeper: fresh garlic, tangy red wine vinegar, great quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley leaves and fresh oregano. For the love, do not skip the fresh oregano leaves. It brings something special, just like it does in my eggplant white bean dip.
The Ingredients
- Soybeans. Two cups of frozen shelled edamame, also sometimes labeled mukimame. Thaw these and pat them dry very well so that the vinaigrette adheres to the beans.
- White Beans. I'm using a 15-ounce can of white cannellini beans, but you can also use a can of black beans here; it's your choice.
- Cherry Tomatoes. Take a big handful (about ¾ of a cup) of cherry tomatoes, rinse and dry them, and then slice into quarters.
- Celery. Please use the very freshest celery you can find. Do you not use anything that is limp or has been sitting in your fridge for weeks. I'm spoiled by living next to celery fields, and when celery is fresh, it is VIBRANT. Finely dice some to equal ⅓ cup, and be sure to include some of the celery leaves for extra fresh flavor.
- Shallots. You need ¼ cup of thinly sliced shallot rings, which can be one large shallot or 2-3 small baby shallots. Peel them, slice off the root and tip, and slice into thin rings. See the photos below for a size guide.
- Garlic. One fresh clove of garlic, finely minced.
- Red Wine Vinegar. Three tablespoons of red wine vinegar. You could use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar in its place, however.
- Olive Oil. Since this is a salad dressing and will be eaten raw, use extra-virgin olive oil.
- Lemon. Zest and juice one whole lemon for the dressing.
- Fresh Parsley. A handful of fresh parsley brings so much green, fresh flavor here.
- Fresh Oregano. I know that fresh oregano can be hard to find in the grocery stores; it's usually near the bagged salad mixes. If you can't find it, you may use one teaspoon of dried oregano, but it's really not the same flavor. Fresh oregano has anise and lemon flavors that dried oregano just lacks. Can I also suggest growing oregano for cooking? It's super hardy and grows almost anywhere. You'll use it in many of my bean side dish recipes!
The Instructions
In a serving bowl, add the thawed soybeans, drained and rinsed white beans, quartered cherry tomatoes, finely diced celery and shallots.
In a separate small bowl, add the minced garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, fresh parsley and fresh oregano. Whisk together very well.
Then, to the dressing, slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify it.
Finally, pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the serving bowl, toss and serve.
Storage: Edamame White Bean Salad
- Make Ahead - This salad can be made and stored in the fridge for about one day before serving. Beyond one day, the herbs start to wilt a bit and they're not as pretty. It still tastes great up to 4 days later, though. It's great to pack in meal prep lunches!
- Storage - You can keep this in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days safely, but please do not freeze it or store it longer than that.
FAQ: Edamame Bean Salad
While you cannot eat raw soybeans from the pod, I am happy to report that frozen edamame/ mukimame is actually steamed before being frozen, so they are safe to eat without cooking. Just thaw, and toss them in this edamame white bean salad recipe.
Soybeans are high in fiber, protein, vitamin K and antioxidants. It's a great plant-based protein. Please remember whenever you see strangers on the internet speaking negatively about soy that there are literal billions of people in other cultures that eat soy and soy products every day, and they have much lower incidences of heart disease than the western world does. They also have a higher life expectancy. (Sorry to vent, but I'm just so tired of misinformation when it comes to my beloved soybeans!)
I think the combination of white beans, celery and tomatoes is so good here, but you can swap in black beans, add corn, avocado, or even use cilantro instead of parsley.
Edamame White Bean Salad
Best edamame salad recipe with white beans, tomatoes, and an herb vinaigrette. It's naturally vegan, too!
Ingredients
- 2 cups frozen mukimame (shelled edamame), thawed and patted dry
- 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ⅓ cup finely chopped celery (including leaves)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
For the dressing:
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Instructions
- In a serving bowl, stir together the mukimame/ shelled edamame, cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes, celery, and shallots.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add the minced garlic, red wine vinegar and salt. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the chopped parsley and oregano.
- Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies and slightly thickens.
- Pour the dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture, and toss to coat. Serve.
Notes
Soybeans: Two cups of frozen shelled edamame, also sometimes labeled mukimame. Thaw and pat very dry. You do not need to cook frozen edamame; they are safe to thaw and eat directly.
White Beans: I'm using a 15-ounce can of white cannellini beans, but you can also use a can of black beans here.
Fresh Oregano: I know that fresh oregano can be hard to find in the grocery stores; it's usually near the bagged salad mixes. If you can't find it, you may use one teaspoon of dried oregano, but it's really not the same flavor. Fresh oregano has anise and lemon flavors that dried oregano just lacks.
Make Ahead - This salad can be made and stored in the fridge for about one day before serving. Beyond one day, the herbs start to wilt a bit and they're not as pretty. It still tastes great up to 4 days later, though. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 196mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 8g
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