Edamame~ 3 Ways to Enjoy A Healthy Snack

Edamame is a delicious and healthy snack which is easy to make and super fun to eat. Here are three simple recipes you can make in minutes.

What Exactly is Edamame?

Edamame is another name for soy beans. The beans that you get in the pods are actually immature beans. When allowed to fully mature they become a much harder bean from which soy milk and tofu are made. The young beans are very tender and can be eaten after being boiled or steamed.

Edamame makes for a wonderful snack due to it’s high protein content, fiber and healthy fat. Edamame is also high in Vitamin K, folate and a good source of non-heme (vegetable based) iron. They have a neutral taste and a texture that is a bit more dense without mushiness, making it an interesting texture in a salad in place of a traditional bean.

How to Eat Edamame From the Pod

Here’s the fun part. The shell of the pod is tough and inedible, it’s only the beans inside that you are after. There are two basic methods for eating edamame. The first is to pick up a pod and put it to your mouth, then squeeze the pod behind the bean and pass it through your lips.

I prefer the second method, which is to put the pod between your teeth and tease the bean out of the pod. The benefit of this method is that you get some of the flavoring that is coated on the outside of the pod along with the beans- which to me is the best part.

How to Prepare Edamame

Edamame is not difficult to prepare.  There are two basic methods, boiling, or steaming. You may microwave them too, but I don’t recommend this method. The whole process takes about 10 minutes, and hardly makes a mess. You can have a healthy tasty snack in no time.

A batch may also be made in advance and snacked on at the office, or  to have on hand for after school. The simplest way to enjoy edamame is boiled or steamed and sprinkled with a little salt, and most of the time this is the way I enjoy them. Here are three recipes for some variety. You may also dress the beans already out of the pod using these recipes too. Enjoy!

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Edamame Three Ways

Gail Watson Edamame is a delicious and healthy snack which is easy to make and super fun to eat. Here are three simple recipes you can make in minutes. What Exactly is… Snack Attack Edamame~ 3 Ways to Enjoy A Healthy Snack European Print This

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• Edamame with Lemon Salt
• 1 lb edamame in the pod, fresh or frozen
• 2- 1/2" strips of zest from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon course salt
• Sesame Soy Edamame
• 1 lb edamame in the pods, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• With Kanzuri Paste
• 1 lb edamame in the pod, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoon Kanzuri paste
• 1 tablespoon mild sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Basic Edamame Recipe: In a medium pot bring 6 cups of water to the boil. Add the edamame and bring back to the boil. You may add the frozen beans directly into the pot if you would like.

Edamame with Lemon Salt
While the beans are cooking place the lemon zest on the cutting board and sprinkle the salt on top. Chop the salt and zest together until the zest is finely diced. This releases the oils in the zest into the salt.
When the beans are cooked, drain and immediately sprinkle with the salt. Toss and serve.

Sesame Soy Edamame

While the edamame are boiling, in a medium bowl combine the soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar.
When the beans are finished cooking, drain them and toss into the bowl while still warm. Turn the beans several times to evenly coat and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

Edamame with Kanzuri Paste

While the edamame cooks, in a medium bowl blend the Kanzuri, oil and salt together and spread around the bottom of the bowl.
When the edamame are cooked, drain, and while still warm, toss into the bowl. Turn the pods over to completely cover with the sauce.

 

Notes

Kanzuri is a fermented chili paste made with yuzu- a Japanese citrus. It has a remarkably complex tangy zippy taste that I've never found anywhere else. You may purchase it through www.thebrooklynkitchen.com. If you phone them at 718-389-2982 they will ship it to you- and check out their other nifty items!