This edamame, tofu and miso salad packs in protein, umami and crunch

The nutrition geek in me is on full display when I talk about soy foods I could be accused of getting overly giddy about them. Here s why: Soy is on...

The nutrition geek in me is on full display when I talk about soy foods - I could be accused of getting overly giddy about them. Here’s why: Soy is one of the few plant foods that’s a complete protein, with all the essential amino acids in sufficient proportions. It contains healthy unsaturated fats, as well as compounds called isoflavones. The latter are rich with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and have been shown to reduce cancer risk, improve heart health, help alleviate hot flashes, improve signs of skin-aging and more.

There is such a wide variety of soy foods, each with its own nutritional highlights: Edamame is brimming with fiber and potassium; tofu has lots of calcium and iron; and soy milk is one of the few nondairy milks that offers as much protein as regular milk. Because they are fermented, miso and tempeh are rich in probiotics.

Potential downsides you may have heard about soy have been largely disproven or have involved cases of eating extreme amounts of them. (Too much of any food is a bad idea for a multitude of reasons.) The safety and benefit of eating up to three to four servings of soy daily is well established. Americans have a way to go to get there - on average, we eat just one-quarter serving a day.

Consider this salad an enticement to get more soy in your life. It features the legume three ways: as edamame, marinated tofu and miso - each as convenient as it is nourishing. A bag of frozen edamame can be tucked in the freezer for whenever you need it. Packaged marinated and baked tofu is widely available, and a tub of miso can be kept indefinitely in the refrigerator.

To make the salad, toss the cooked and chilled edamame with the diced tofu, along with crisp, fresh vegetables - bell pepper, cucumber, radish and onion. Then add the miso dressing, which is sweetened with apricot jam, brightened with rice vinegar and lime, aromatic with ginger and garlic, and nutty with sesame oil.