I like this salad just fine without chicken or shrimp… but if you do want to grill some chicken or shrimp to go with it (yummy), I recommend marinating it in soy sauce, honey, and garlic for a bit to give even more flavor.

If you are making this ahead, you can definitely chop and prep all the veggies in advance and even mix them together. I would just hold off on mixing in the chow mein, cashews, and dressing until just before serving.

I buy edamame frozen, already shelled, and just boil them for a few minutes like you would boil peas.

I like this salad with regular roasted cashews – I also love it with those super spicy, flavor-loaded Thai cashews from Trader Joe’s!

You can easily omit the Greek yogurt or mayo to keep this a vegan / dairy free salad! The dressing will be a little less thick (more like a vinaigrette), but it’s still totally delicious. For a creamy dairy-free alternative, you could try miso!