If you’ve ever been to a sushi joint, you’ve no doubt tried out some of their edamame – a tasty little snack of steamed or boiled soybean pods that are then served with sauce. They’re delicious, extremely healthy, and are actually common cuisine in quite a few countries, including China, Korea, and even Hawaii in the U.S.
If you’re cooking edamame in the States, you’re probably buying them frozen. Some people manage to grow their own in home gardens, and there are a few farms in the U.S. that do grow soybeans for edamame, but the overall number is still pretty small. So, we’re going to assume you’re working with the frozen variety.
Cooking edamame is pretty easy, and there’s a lot you can do to alter the flavor, so it’s a great base for experimenting. But first, let’s talk about edamame and cover a few fun facts that you may not have known. Edamame is specifically immature soybean pods, meaning they’re pods that haven’t fully matured on the plant and are harvested when they’re young. In Japanese, edamame literally translates to “stem bean” because they were often still on the stem when they were sold.
How to Cook Edamame
Edamame can be cooked in one of two ways: through boiling the pods or by steaming them. Steaming is the preferred method as they don’t retain as much water as when they’re boiled. This results in a lighter edamame. However, either method will still give you a delicious snack or appetizer.
How to Boil Edamame
To boil edamame, start by filling a large pot 3/4 of the way full with water. Put on high heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Add 2 Tablespoons of salt. Once boiling, add in 1 pound of edamame – either fresh or frozen – and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the edamame has turned a bright green. Drain the pods and put in a dish. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly. You can also serve with soy sauce on the side for dipping.
How to Steam Edamame
Steaming edamame is also pretty quick and easy, but unlike the boiling method, you’ll need to defrost the edamame completely before cooking. You can do this by putting it in the refrigerator the day before or run the pods under room temperature water in an airtight bag until they’re ready. Once they’re defrosted, set up a steaming basket on top of a large pot of boiling water. Add the edamame pods into the steamer basket and cook for 5 minutes or until the pods turn bright green. Season the same way as above or try seasoning with any number of spices – garlic and butter, chili paste, or lemon juice and salt. One of the best edamame we’ve ever had was tossed in truffle oil and garlic.
Have you ever made edamame? What’s your favorite way to season it? Share your recipe or tip with us in the comments!
