Edamame and Cranberry Feta Salad

Edamames have been popping out at me lately!  Besides ordering them while out for sushi, I frequently buy the snap pea edamame and make them as a snack or appetizer at home.

During my last few trips to the grocery store I have thought “I should cook with shelled edamame,” then somehow keep walking past them.  This weekend I finally broke the streak and put some in my cart.  Right there in the grocery store aisle, I quickly looked up a few recipes for ingredient inspiration and came up with what you see below.

This salad is very close to what you might find at the food bar at Whole Foods or The Fresh Market.  My mother raved about it, found a similar recipe, then shared it with me.  I really wanted to make it my own, and my additions are the finely chopped carrots and almonds.  Interesting right?

I thought the carrots might be a bit of a stretch, but went for it anyways.  As it turns out, they fit perfectly with the edamame against the sweetness of the cranberries and richness of the feta cheese.  I only added a tablespoon of olive oil for dressing, but you could easily substitute a salad dressing and even add some lime juice for a different flavor.

I know I will enjoy this ten minute salad a few different ways in the future!

 Ingredients

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 16 oz. bag shelled edamame, thawed if frozen

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (or 1/8 cup basil seasoning)

1/2 cup feta cheese

salt (to taste)

1/8 tsp. ground pepper

prep + cook time: 10 minutes

servings: 4-6

Directions

1. Peel and chop carrots. Chop sliced almonds (if desired).

2. Boil two separate pans of water, one for the cranberries, one for the edemame.

3. For cranberries: once boiled, remove one from the heat and put cranberries in to sit.  Let sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate. Drain well and remove as much water as possible. (Patting with paper towels helps!)

4. For edamame: add a pinch of salt and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Pat dry.

5. Toss edamame, carrots, cranberries, almonds, basil, olive oil, and pepper together.  Add salt to taste (if desired).  Gently stir in feta cheese.

6. Serve chilled at room temperature.

Breakdown

Chop whatever needs to be chopped.

I prefer both carrots and almonds to be very finely chopped in side salads.

You can opt to shred your carrots instead.

Boil two pots of water. Remove one from the heat, add cranberries, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook edamame in the other for 5 minutes.  Drain both and pat dry.

Toss all ingredients besides feta in a large mixing bowl.

Gently toss in feta.

Give it a good ‘ol mix all together.

Serve chilled and enjoy!