Rainbow Chopped Salad

While scrolling Instagram in bed on this lazy Saturday morning, I ran across a salad post that looked amazing. This is not that salad. I didn't have the ingredients on hand for that salad. This is the salad I made instead because the post had me craving a bean and veggie salad all day. I also reeeeeaaallly wanted to use my pretty new bowl. Isn't it a nice one? Sometimes it's the simple things in life. If, like me, a good salad in a pretty bowl makes your day just a wee bit better, get out your favorite bowl and give this yummy salad a try.
Yield: 4 salads | ½  cup (120ml) dressing (2 tablespoons [30ml] per salad)
Macros (per dressed salad): 430 calories | 23g protein | 31g fat | 9.5g net carbs
Macros (per undressed salad): 330 calories | 21g protein | 22g fat | 7g net carbs
Macros (per tablespoon of dressing): 50 calories | 1g protein | 5g fat | 1g net carbs
Prep: 20 minutes
Storage: salad and dressing separately, refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Dressing Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) tahini ✎ 
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) tamari, soy sauce, or aminos
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) lime juice (about 1 medium lime)
  • 1½ tablespoons (23ml) light olive oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice​
  • 2 cloves (6g) garlic, crushed (equals 1 teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional or to taste)​
Salad Ingredients:
  • ½ cup (70g) frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • 1½ cups (258g) cooked & cooled soybeans
  • 1 cup (70g) shredded red/purple cabbage
  • 1 cup (101g) diced celery (about 2½ medium stalks)
  • 1 cup (20g) cilantro leaves, chopped
  • ½ cup (60g) shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
  • 2 medium (30g) green onions, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 medium (136g) avocado, chopped or sliced
  • 1 medium (123g) tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • a few (5g) basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 sheet (3g) sushi nori, cut into small pieces (I use scissors for this) (optional) ✎ ​
  • ½ cup (72g) oil-roasted salted peanuts ✎ 
  • 2 teaspoons (6g) brown or black sesame seeds
Directions:
  1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or put in a small jar and shake to combine. Set aside.
  2. Put the edamame in a small bowl with warm water to thaw. Drain when thawed.
  3. Prepare all remaining salad ingredients as per the ingredient list and put all but the sesame seeds in a large salad bowl or medium-sized mixing bowl. Optionally, set aside the sliced avocado to place on top as per the picture.
  4. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly to combine. Optionally, set aside a little dressing to drizzle over the avocado as per the picture.
  5. Divide the salad equally between 4 dinner bowls and top with the sesame seeds (and avocado if set aside). Additional crushed red pepper flakes can also be sprinkled on top.
  6. Enjoy soon after dressing.
Reduce the Carbs: replace the red cabbage with green/white cabbage. Omit the carrot. Increase the tomato to 1½ medium (185g). Replace the peanuts with ⅓ cup (53g) pumpkin seeds, toasted (at 350°F [175°C] for roughly 7 minutes). This reduces the net carbs to 8g per dressed salad.
Soy-Free (Carb-Booster): replace the soybeans with a 15-ounce (425g) can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (about 1½ cups [228g]). Omit the edamame and add 2 cups (60g) baby spinach, chopped. Replace the peanuts with ½ cup (80g) pumpkin seeds, toasted (at 350°F [175°C] for roughly 7 minutes). 
Macros (per dressed salad): 390 calories | 16g protein | 26g fat | 17g net carbs
Make It Peanut-Free: replace the peanuts with either ½ cup (65g) slivered almonds, toasted, or ⅓ cup (53g) pumpkin seeds, toasted. Both options can be toasted in a rimmed baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for roughly 7 minutes. Monitor to prevent burning. Macros for these swaps are similar to the original recipe.
✎ Notes:
  • As per product labels, tahini often contains fewer net carbs than what national databases suggest, while oil-roasted peanuts typically contain more net carbs than what national databases suggest.​ That said, national database entries are what I've used in my calculations.
  • The nori isn't really noticeable in the salad, so this addition is more for nutritional value (the iodine content). Feel free to increase the amount for more of a fishy flavor. Nori has 0g net carbs and is a good source of iodine and contains some protein. You could also replace some of the tamari in the dressing with a vegan fish sauce.
  • Macros for this recipes are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the pumpkin seeds (Bob's Redmill), which are mentioned only in the optional variations to the original recipe.
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.