Edamame 101
Edamame in Japanese means “beans on a branch.” Edamame is most often found in Asian cuisine but has found its way into American cuisine. Edamame is a fancy word for soybeans that are well developed but soft and green. American farmers lead the world in growing soybeans but not the one that are being called “vegetable soy beans, or edamame.” American farmers that grow soybeans do not harvested them until they are brown and the beans inside are dry and hard. These soybeans are used to make soybean oil and to feed farm animals. Most edamame is imported from Asian countries but some American farms are starting to producing edamame.
Edamame is an excellent source of protein, fiber and potassium. It is low in fat and in cholesterol. Edamame is fairly easy to grow and would be a great addition to a garden. If you don’t have a green thumb you can find edamame in most grocery stores. In the frozen section you can usually find edamame that has already been shelled. Frozen shelled edamame would also work well in the recipe below. You can eat roasted or steamed edamame plain or add it to soups, lettuce salads, pasta salads, rice and beyond.
- 1 (10 ounce package) ready-to-eat soybeans, or 1½ cups fresh soybeans
- 2 t. olive oil
- ½ t. chili powder
- ¼ t. garlic powder
- ¼ t. cumin
- ¼ t. dried basil
- ⅛ t. paprika
- ⅛ t. black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
- Put soybeans in a small bowl and add olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried basil, paprika, and black pepper.
- Arrange soybeans on a shallow baking pan.
- Roast, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, stirring once, until soybeans begin to brown.
- Refrigerate any leftovers.
