Asian Steamed Edamame

A side dish or snack, these Asian Steamed Edamame are more addictive than popcorn! Whole edamame is steamed in a spiced soy sauce mixture and tossed with sesame seeds for a healthy and delicious vegetable treat that will have your family asking for more.

I’m always looking for ways to increase my family’s vegetable intake. This recipe is something that I make weekly.  It’s yummy both hot and cold, so I like to keep a bowl in the refrigerator for a quick snack or to top a salad.

Healthy Edamame

Edamame is immature soybeans still in their pods. The name is an Americanized version of the Japanese term for green soybeans. It is roughly translated as ‘beans on branches’. One cup of edamame has about 224 calories and a whopping 18.4 grams of plant-based protein. 

Edamame is also full of fiber, iron, and vitamins including vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

This buttery-tasting legume has no cholesterol and is rich in isoflavones. Edamame is thought to help lower blood cholesterol levels, stabilize blood sugars, and protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer.

To think that something that helps your body stay healthy can taste so delicious. Why not keep a bowl of Asian Steamed Edamame in your fridge?

How To Buy Fresh Edamame

Edamame season is from August until Mid-November. You should be able to find them in the produce section of your grocery store or in an Asian market.

There are a few things to keep in mind when buying fresh edamame:

• Look for edamame with pods that are 2-3-inches long and bright green color.
• They should have a bit of fuzz on the outside of the pod, but less than the amount of fuzz found on a peach. Too much fuzz indicates that the edamame is too mature and has begun to spoil. No fuzz indicates that the edamame hasn’t matured enough.
• Perfectly ripe edamame will have 2 or 3 plump edamame in the pod.
• Avoid any brown or black edamame or pods with black or brown spots.

Ingredients Needed

• Edamame in the pod – you can use either fresh or frozen. Frozen is more readily available and is every bit as good as fresh.
• Water
• Kosher salt
• Garlic – use large cloves that you peel but leave whole.
• Whole black peppercorns
• Chili flakes – optional, but adds a subtle heat and lots of flavor.
• Chinese Five Spice – You could also use star anise, cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, and cardamom pods. Using the spice is a lot easier and cheaper. You can find the spice easily online.
• Sesame oil – I like using toasted sesame oil because it has more flavor.
• Sesame seeds – Using both black and white seeds adds interesting texture and looks pretty, but using one or the other is fine. There is a slight flavor difference, but it’s negligible.

Steps To Make This Recipe

1. Pierce the edamame pods to allow the flavored cooking water to flavor the inside beans.
2. Bring the water, garlic, salt, peppercorns, chili flakes, and Chinese Five Spice to a boil, then simmer to allow the water to take on all the luscious flavors.
3. Add the edamame, bring the water back to a boil and cook the edamame for only five minutes.
4. Toss the edamame with sesame oil and the sesame seeds.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider a few of our other bean recipes:

• Easy Succotash
• Italian Butter Beans
• Cuban Rice And Beans
• Kansas City Barbecue Beans
• Brown Sugar And Bourbon Baked Beans
• French White Bean Salad

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