Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products/vendors referred to in her articles, blog or web site.
There was a time not so long ago that the soy bean was an ingredient that was relegated to the tofu ingredient in our recipes. Some enterprising chef realized that the soy bean in its fresh form–AKA, Edamame–is a fabulous food in its own natural form. Voila, a new food craze is off and running.
Edamame (or the soybean) is a green vegetable that is jam packed full of protein and is a wonderful source of calcium, magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin, folate and iron. These large beans come in a pod that looks like a pea pod, only bigger. They are harvested early in their growth cycle so the beans are still tender and green and haven’t matured.
The best way to prepare the edamame is to parboil in lightly salted water, rinse, drain and cool. Remove the bean from the pod to eat. When shopping for your fresh edamame, choose pods that are plump, firm and don’t have any spots or blemishes. You can keep the fresh edamame in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days and the frozen stuff is just fine for 3 or 4 months in the freezer.
Edamame is so very versatile: It’s great eaten all by itself or in salads, soups, stir fries, pasta dishes and any kind of casseroles into which you want to add some protein. Fresh edamame is usually found at natural and higher end produce sections or farmers markets. You can find the frozen stuff in most grocery freezer sections.
At this point you know as much as I do about our friend the edamame and you’re ready to try some of the new recipes below.
Hoisin Beef and Edamame (meat)
4 servings
Ingredients:
- ½ lb. cooked and drained whole wheat spaghetti
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 8 oz. steak, trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 (10 oz.) package frozen shelled edamame, (about 2 cups), thawed
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions:
- In a bowl combine the lime juice, hoisin sauce, garlic and cornstarch. Whisk to combine.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the steak and cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until it’s done the way you like it. Immediately transfer the steak to a plate using tongs, but don’t clean the pan.
- Add bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce mixture and beef to the pan.
- Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Add the noodles; toss to coat.
- Top with cilantro.
Tip: Freezing the flank steak for about 20 minutes will make it easier to thinly slice.
From EatingWell January/February 2007.
Garlic Edamame (pareve)
6 servings as a side dish, 4 servings as a main course
Ingredients:
- ½ cup water
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (16 oz.) packages frozen edamame
- ½ cup teriyaki or soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ to 1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked, drained
Instructions:
- Bring the water and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the edamame, and cook until the edamame are hot, and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil. Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened and coats the edamame, about 4 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta, toss to combine and place the mixture in a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and serve.
Submitted by Jore Cardase of Chicago, IL.
Edamame and Corn Salad (pareve)
Ingredients:
- 1 (16 oz.) package frozen shelled edamame
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn, cooked and kernels
- 1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- ½ cup chopped black olives
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 small tomato, seeded and diced small
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan on high heat. Add edamame; cook 4 minutes or until edamame are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a large salad bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add edamame, corn, red bell pepper, green onions, celery, black olives and parsley; toss well to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.
- Toss before serving.
Modified from mccormick.com.
Sesame Chicken Edamame (meat)
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 Tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh lemongrass
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
- 2 cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry mix
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup diagonally cut green onions (¼-inch)
- 2 teaspoons dark sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic and sauté 1 minute or just until mixture begins to brown. Add the chicken and cook for about 2 minutes. Add edamame and stir-fry mix and cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes.
- In a bowl combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and cornstarch; whisk to combine.
- Add the liquid to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the onions, sesame seeds, and salt.
- Mix to combine and serve over rice or noodles.
Modified from Cooking Light, March 2006.
Peppers, Edamame and Quinoa (pareve)
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1½ cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 8 to 12 Bibb lettuce leaves
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
Instructions:
- In a bowl place the garlic, honey, soy sauce and vinegar. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the quinoa, edamame, pepper, raisins and onion. Mix to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the quinoa and mix together until the mixture is completely coated.
- To serve, place 2 leaves on each serving plate and spoon some of the quinoa mixture into it.
From my files, source unknown.
Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer who was born and raised in the Chicago area. She graduated from Indiana University and the Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Paris. She lectures on various food-related topics across the U.S. and Canada and writes weekly columns for the Chicago Jewish News, kosher.com and the OU Shabbat Shalom Website. She is the author of the Perfectly Pareve Cookbook (Feldheim) and is a contributing writer for the Chicken Soup for the Soul Book Group, Chicago Sun Times, Detroit Free Press and Woman’s World Magazine. You can visit Eileen’s blog by clicking: Cuisine by Eileen.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.