Healthful Edamame Goes Mainstream

If you have been to a Japanese restaurant or sushi bar, you may probably be familiar with a popular snack called edamame.

Edamame (eh-dah-mah-may) is actually a type of soybean that has been harvested early and left in the pod. This delightful dish could possibly be the world's oldest snack food, going back well over a thousand years and it could be the healthiest. Edamame (sometimes called sweet beans or fresh garden soybeans) is delicious lightly salted and eaten out of hand.

Once only available in slightly fuzzy pods about 2 inches long, shelled edamame (without the pod) are now widely available at fine-food stores and supermarkets. You can find edamame with and without pods frozen in 16-ounce packages, and in convenient, ready-to-eat 10-ounce packages in the produce section of many supermarkets.

I like shelled edamame in soups, salads, vegetable medley and stir-fry dishes because of the added flavor, texture and nutritional value. Shelled edamame is a very tasty stand-in for lima beans in any recipe. For instance, you could substitute shelled edamame for lima beans in succotash, or three-bean salad.

Shelled Edamame in Sesame Marinade is a tasty dish made with a popular salad dressing. A terrific choice for a side dish or starter, cooked edamame, mushrooms, scallions and bell peppers are combined with a full-bodied and really delicious marinade.

Simply cook the edamame for five minutes in salted water, drain and proceed with the recipe. With six grams of soy protein in just 1/3 of a cup, this dish is a healthy and delicious addition to any meal.

Shelled Edamame in Sesame Marinade

One recipe Savory Sesame Marinade (recipe follows)

Ingredients:

16 oz. shelled edamame
1 cup sliced Cremeni mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 red bell pepper, chopped

Preparation:

If frozen, cook edamame according to package directions and drain well. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium glass measuring cup. Place edamame in a nonreactive bowl and combine with marinade. Add mushrooms, scallions and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight for optimal flavor.

Yield: 12 servings

Savory Sesame Marinade

Makes about 2/3 cup

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Sesame Shiitake Dressing
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. granulated onion
2 Tbsp. tamari
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Pour dressing into a medium-size, glass liquid measuring cup. Add scallions, garlic, onion, tamari and cilantro. Mix thoroughly with a small fork. Marinate ingredients for at least one hour, covered in the refrigerator.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author and chef.