I think you may have noticed my love of pasta salad. It can be so much more exciting than your average pasta dish and this Edamame, Feta and Beet Salad is no exception.
I would serve this pasta salad for dinner, but it's great for lunch too and the perfect dish for a picnic or BBQ.
Cooper often requests buffet for dinner. It's his ultimate meal, lots of little bowls full of goodies such as pasta salad, green salad, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, baby beets, pickled onions, hummus, crusty bread and oatcakes. He's easy pleased and it usually means great leftovers for the next day.
You may notice a wee sneaky bit of extra green in there. I added some spinach along with the edmame beans to the pasta cooking water towards the end of cooking time. I'm all for simplicity and less washing up.
In case you haven't come across edamame beans before, they are sometimes called soya beans or soybeans. I have a bag of them in my freezer, they are super handy for adding to salads, soups or stews. They're low calorie and one of the few plant based complete proteins. They're also a rich source of folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamins C and K, as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorus and potassium. What's not to love?
I tossed the pasta with pesto and sprinkled the pasta with some crumbled feta. The beets are pickled, but plain beetroot would be good too. I personally like the sweet zing from pickled beets in a salad, but you choose which you prefer.
Edamame, Feta and Beet Pasta Salad
Pasta salad tossed in pesto, spinach, edamame, beets and feta cheese. Perfect for lunch, dinner, picnics and BBQs.
Ingredients
- 400g shell pasta
- 100g frozen edamame beans
- 100g frozen spinach
- 4 tbsp pesto, more if you like
- 12 pickled baby beets, halved
- 50-100g feta cheese (add as much as you like)
- a good grinding of black pepper
Instructions
1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. It should still be firm.
2. Add the beans and spinach to the cooking water 2 or 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
3. Once the pasta is ready, drain and toss under cold running water until the pasta is cold. This is the secret of good pasta salad with glossy firm pasta.
4. Stir the pesto though the pasta, beans and spinach and season with black pepper
5. Serve each bowlful topped with a generous amount of beets and feta cheese.
6. Enjoy!
Details
Total time: Yield: Serves 4-6
Here are four of my favourite pasta salads for you to try:
- Conchiglioni Pasta Salad with Sautéed Mushrooms and Goats' Cheese
- Herbful Pasta Salad with Mushrooms
- Summer Pasta Salad
- Rocket and Mozzarella Farfalle Salad
What a marvelous salad. I love the feta and edamame...my daughter will love the beets - this would be a hit with the family..something in there for everyone to love. xo, Catherine
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. It sounds like a hit on the perfect recipe for you Catherine. Hope you enjoy it :)
DeleteHa - my kids always want buffet for dinner as well! But they also love pasta. It would be great to make this and let them assemble it themselves.
ReplyDeleteThey are quite easy pleased aren't they. I think it may be because it give them a bit of control of what's on their plate (they think!), but it's fun too.
DeleteAnother lovely salad, thanks for sharing the recipe Jacqueline :)
ReplyDeleteThat's ok, I do like my salads :)
DeleteI love pasta salad yet have a mental block -- never think to make it! Must try to remember!
ReplyDeleteHaha, that happens to me a lot too, but not when it comes to pasta salads Kavey. Love them!
DeleteI adore beetroot and feta together - ever since having them in a lentil salad at The Real Greek chain. Now one of my firm favourites! Love this pasta twist and especially with the endamame beans. BTW you know Ted refuses to eat beans, well he'll eat these now because they're the same ones they serve in Wagamama!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant Sarah. Anything that helps, I say! Love that boy!
Deletewhat a delicious salad - I keep telling myself I must buy some edamame for the freezer - we have had it there in pods but that aren't so good for adding to dishes - though sylvia loves them (she loves take-what-you-want meals - maybe I should start calling it a buffet - so fancy). And I love how perfectly the serviette matches with the vegies - beautiful colour.
ReplyDeleteThanks Johanna and yes try it Sylvia would love it :)
DeleteLove the colours! Have showed this to a colleague who is cutting down on proteins at the moment and they love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat and thanks for sharing Gary :)
Deletethis looks super delicious and that pasta shape is the cutest <3
ReplyDeletehttps://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Yes I like something other than penne pasta for pasta salads. Much more interesting!
DeleteA lovely spring salad - so bright and colourful - delicious! x
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
DeleteI cant seem to get edamame up here so I need to hunt some down as I really like them.
ReplyDeleteCheck your local supermarket for frozen soya beans, they are edamame. Tesco stock them.
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