Edamame (Soybeans)
"The Truth About The Beans"
Insider on Soybeans
What's so secret about edamame? Well, the name for starters. The first few times I heard it, I had to ask, "eda-whaty?" As it turns out, it's just a fancy name for boiled green soybeans -- and the real secret is that they are much yummier than they sound.
I knew edamame had "arrived" when I saw Faith Hill snacking on them during a backstage-type interview for Country Music Television. They're the snack my favorite Japanese restaurant brings you when you sit down to a table, and they're the after-school snack my daughter asks for by name.
Say what you will about the debate over the health benefits of soy: any way you slice it, the edamame is a star legume! Just 1/2 cup of them a day really punches up the fiber, protein and vitamin/mineral content of your diet.
Recipes
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn
1 sweet onion, diced
1 (16 ounce) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 small red onion, chopped
Edamame Fresca
2 (12 ounce) packages frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste