I’m getting ready for our anniversary trip, so I haven’t had a lot of time to cook. My aunt from Vietnam just came for a visit. She happens to be a vegetarian as well. I met her seven years ago when she came to visit my family in Paris. I remembered that she loves edamame, or baby soybeans boiled in salt water.
I decided to make a nice salad for her that incorporated edamame. I added roasted red bell pepper, perlini mozzarella and celery, along with Beluga lentils for color. I made a dressing with garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and walnut oil.
The salad has a really nice contrast of flavors, colors and textures. If you’ve never tried edamame before, this is a great way to get acquainted with this tasty ingredient.
1. Info for Edamame and Celery Salad with Roasted Peppers
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Servings: 8
- Calories: 235kcal
2. Ingredients for Edamame and Celery Salad with Roasted Peppers
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 (12-ounce) package edamame beans (about 2 cups), shelled
- 1/4 cup Beluga lentils, pre-cooked
- 4 ounces perlini fresh mozarella cheese (pearl-sized bites), drained
- 1/4 cup non-pareil capers (see tips), drained
- 5 stalks celery, washed and peeled
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pink peppercorns, whole
3. Directions:
- For the edamame beans: Blanch the edamame beans in about a quart of salted boiling water. Cook for about 2 minutes. Strain and immediately transfer into a cold water bath. Pat dry on a towel. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
- For the roasted bell peppers: Cut the stems off the peppers. Wash the bell peppers, pat dry and brush with oil. Place a grill on your stove and char all the skin of the peppers. Wrap in aluminum foil. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes until you can handle them without discomfort. Clean the peppers using a knife; the skin will come right off. Seed them and finely chop the flesh.
- For the celery: Cut the celery on the bias into 1/4- inch slices. Set aside.
- Assembly time: In a large serving bowl, combine the edamame beans, roasted bell peppers, mozzarella, capers, Beluga lentils, celery and flat-leaf parsley. Add garlic, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, brown sugar, salt, black pepper and whole pink peppercorns. Drizzle with walnut oil. Toss to combine. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Let sit about 1 hour before serving to let all the flavors blend together. Serve at room temperature.
- C’est prêt! -“It’s ready” (in French).
- Bon appétit!
