Cilantro and Edamame Salad

I had a bag of wonderful, shelled, organic edamame beans sitting in our freezer for a few months.  Sometimes I even forgot that it was there at all!  So a few days ago I was thinking about what on earth to make for dinner.  It was too late to run to the store and there was a small window before I had to run off to yoga and Derek to volleyball.

And you know what, sometimes when I have to make due with what I have on hand, magical things happen.  Strange and unlikely combinations turn into legit recipes!

As I rummaged through our kitchen I came across a can of corn, a bag of cilantro that needed to be used ASAP, and, of course, the forgotten bag of edamame in the freezer.  Alakazam! Boom! Dinner is served!

The cilantro and edamame salad checks a lot of our summer dinner checkboxes:

Quick: check! (seriously, it took me like, 10 minutes to prepare)

Nutritious: check! (LOTS of protein and fibre)

Filling (without the uncomfortably stuffed feeling): check!

Cold: check! (because who wants to be sweating after dinner?)

Delicious: check and check!

Cilantro packs a surprising amount of flavour.  It has taken me a while to come around to cilantro.  I used to ask for my burritos without cilantro for the longest time – it was just not a taste that I was used to.  But now, cilantro tastes like vacation to me!  It tastes like Mexico! And there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!

Wanna make your own?

You will need:

• 2 cups of frozen, shelled edamame
• 1 can of corn kernels
• 1/2 a medium sized red onion (or to taste), finely chopped
• 2 handfulls of chopped cilantro
• 2 tbs EVOO
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp grated, fresh ginger
• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Combine 2 cups of water with 2 cups of edamame and a pinch of salt in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium heat for 4 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook.
2. Combine the EVOO, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together to create your dressing.
3. Once the edamame are done cooking, drain the water and let it chill in the fridge.
4. The edamame should be sufficiently chilled after about 5 minutes.  In your serving bowl, combine the edamame, corn, red onion and cilantro.  Add your dressing and mix with a wooden spoon until all of the ingredients are mixed together.

Serve cold on a hot summer’s day!

Yum!  Do you ever just throw ingredients together and are surprised by the delicious results? I love when that happens!