Edamame Beans

at 1:38 PM

Edamame is a Japanese term which literally means twig-bean (eda=twig and mame=beans) which is a reference to the short stem attached to the pod. Edamame in Japan or Korea is usually a preparation of the whole pods boiled in salt or other condiments.



Although I have eaten edamame in pods, I like to get the frozen bags that contain the soybeans only. I typically take what I need from the bag, usually a small bowl full of beans, fill it up with water and microwave for 3-5 minutes. I then drain the water and add salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice to the beans. Even after 5 minutes (at least in my microwave) they are still a bit al dente and incredibly delicious.



You can have edamame as a side dish, mix it with lentils and have them on whole wheat crackers. Or what I like to do is top fresh spinach with edamame, add shredded red cabbage, a couple of tablespoons of feta cheese, some cucumber slices, grilled shrimp and mango salsa. Shelled edamame has 120 calories per half cup.