Ditch The Croutons And Top Your Salad With Protein-Packed Edamame

Edamame is a powerhouse of an ingredient, and one that you should be eating more of. This soybean is rich in all of the same nutrients as other soy-based foods, like tofu and tempeh; each serving will give you a hefty dose of protein, fiber, folate, and copper. Plus, the texture of these pods, and the edible pieces within, are a bit more approachable than eating a whole block of tofu. Moreover, edamame's small size and seamless integration with other vegetables makes it a prime topping for your salad. So, ditch the croutons and try this healthy legume alternative instead.

You don't have to settle for just boiled or steamed edamame on top of your greens or grains, either. If you really want to transform this legume into a crouton substitute, consider giving it a quick toast. Pick up a bag of shelled edamame from the freezer aisle of your local grocery store. Then, to cook your edamame, lay it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pop it into the oven. You can also add seasonings to dress up your edamame and complement your salad. Za'atar or Italian seasoning, for example, are two spice blend options that would complement the vegetal quality of the crispy edamame (and flavor of your chosen dressing, too) quite well. 

Once your edamame is cooked to perfection, it's time to decide what else to pair it with. There are numerous salad components that go well with the soybean, but a good place to start is with a California roll bowl. You can easily swap out the bed of seasoned rice for lettuce to give this dish more of a "salad" feel, and top it with other fresh favorites like diced cucumber, imitation crab, and your crispy or steamed edamame. The best part about using the legume in this bowl is that it ties into the other vegetables present, and adds a fresh flair to an otherwise heavy dish. 

You can also go hard with the cruciferous veggies and add a handful of edamame to your napa cabbage salad for extra protein. The legume meshes well with the seasonings used in the dressing, like rice vinegar, as well as the crunchy sesame seeds. There's also no reason that you can't use edamame for an entirely different cuisine. For example, crispy edamame might be the crunchy topping upgrade that your Caesar salad needs. Crisp up your edamame with a little bit of Parmesan and garlic powder to help the legume integrate into this traditionally Italian-ish salad.