Back in 2009, I was introduced to edamame at an Army conference I had gone to. I was with a group of other Army spouses and we were hanging out after working all day and having dinner. The hotel had a couple options for dinner and the one was sushi. The one spouse explained how she hated sushi but her husband loved it but she discovered edamame and that is what she eats when her husband needs a sushi fix and she proceeded to order some. As someone who is anti-sushi myself and generally avoids it I was intrigued by these bean looking things but soon fell in love with them. I immediately knew I needed to buy some and make them for my family when I got home.
For those of you wondering, what the heck is edamame? Edamame are soybeans that are picked before they are fully mature. These little beans are also powerhouses of nutrition and are full of protein, iron and other nutrients. Edamame also contain estrogen-like compounds known as isoflavones. Now if these are good or bad the data from different studies is conflicting. If you avoid soy or limit eating it please be aware. I know for myself I have to limit soy and how often I have edamame now. I pay for it a few hours after eating when my body says it is hot flash time (darn you hysterectomy!) Decide for yourself before making these beans of deliciousness.
Typically edamame are steamed but when I first had them I really had no clue what the best way to make them was. I didn’t Google it, couldn’t really find anything on Allrecipes, and Pinterest wasn’t around yet. I just tossed them with some olive oil, a little salt and pepper and fresh minced garlic and roasted them. They turned out beautifully and my family loved them. They were fun finger food because you got to pop the beans out of the pods and seriously who wouldn’t think that was fun? My kids love to eat them just as much today as they did when they were 2 and 4, they are a great and healthy snack for all ages.
What is your favorite way to eat Edamame?
- 1 (12 ounce) package frozen edamame (soybeans) in their pods
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Toss edamame, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper together in a large bowl until well-coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast in the preheated oven, stirring halfway through, until edamame shells start to brown, about 20 minutes. Serve whole, popping beans out of the shell to eat.
Find my recipe on Allrecipes.com