{recipe} mediterranean edamame salad

Dear friends, meet your next lunch. Hi, lunch!

 

I made this salad just before I left for carb, gelato, and cannoli heaven in Italy for my big kid version of spring break -- I love teaching! (Lots of Italy spam to come on the blog. Get exciiiited!) I had a bunch of random ingredients I wanted to use up before I left, and a huge block of feta cheese sitting in my refrigerator that my roommate brought back from Greece. She is so kind for sharing it, isn't she?! I know that edamame typically only goes in Asian dishes, but trust me on this one. They add a sweet little crunch to the salad, but even better -- lots of protein. Did you know that just 1/2 a cup of shelled edamame has 11 grams of protein in it? Solid.

This salad is extremely quick and easy to whip together and travels really well. We don't have a refrigerator at my school for teacher use, so I have to bring snacks to work that won't go bad. In my opinion, the flavors actually get better if you let the salad warm up to room temperature a bit. I threw it over some arugula I needed to use up, but you could also top a grilled chicken breast with it as well! That actually sounds super delicious now that I think of it.... 

Mediterranean Edamame Salad:

Recipe adapted from Relish

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette -

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Salad -

• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 2/3 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and cut into halves
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 2 cups lettuce or greens

Directions:

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Combine vinegar, garlic and oregano, and whisk with a fork. Slowly add olive oil, and whisk well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. To prepare salad: Thaw out edamame in a bowl filled with hot water, and then drain. Combine edamame, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, olives, feta, and vinagrette. Let marinate for 30 minutes (or longer, if you can stand it!)
3. When ready to serve, serve salad over lettuce or greens. 

Three steps and you're done. What can get easier than that? Enjoy!

xx, Jen