If you have been wondering how to make Edamame, you have come to the right place! Here I show you how to simply steam these delicious young soybean pods, as well as share a Spicy Edamame recipe made with chilli and garlic – for the more adventurous eaters among you. Here in India, these green soybean pods are called Soyabean. Both the recipes are simple but flavorful. While the Salted Edamame is simplicity at its best, the Spicy Chilli Garlic Edamame or Soyabean Chilli is a truly addictive appetizer.
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What is Edamame?
Edamame (pronounced ed-uh-MAA-meh) are the tender, young pods of soybeans. These tasty green beans are often sold still in their pods, making them an excellent snack for eating with your hands.
Edamame can be boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or even microwaved until cooked, at which point they easily slip out of their inedible exterior pods.
These deliciously healthy little beans are high in plant-based protein and fiber, and they have been associated with positive health outcomes.
About These Edamame Recipes
I share a Japanese style salted edamame and a spicy chili garlic edamame recipe. When served alone, steamed or boiled edamame is vaguely sweet and almost creamy – almost like green peas, but with a firmer consistency.
I love eating them with just a small sprinkling of salt to enhance their natural flavors, but edamame has a broader application than simply serving them alone.
My second recipe for chili garlic edamame maintains the natural sweetness of the beans but adds layers of spicy, sour, and salty flavors to create a more complex dish.
Feel free to reserve half of the edamame for eating plain, and then use the other half to make the spicy edamame recipe.
Whichever recipe you choose, edamame should be on your eating radar. They make for a nutritious snack between meals and can also be eaten as a side dish.
Also, as with all recipes on this site, remember that the spices can be adjusted to your own preferences and heat tolerance.
In this post, I have shown the boiling method, but these can also be steamed in the Instant Pot.
I often use the Instant Pot method – simply add water and a steamer basket to the metal liner then use the pressure cook function for 3 to 5 minutes.
How to Cook Edamame
1. Before you begin, rinse 250 grams edamame beans thoroughly in water 3 to 4 times in a colander or strainer. Drain all the water and set aside.
If you prefer, you can also trim both the ends of the pods with knife or scissors.
Make sure to source edamame which do not have any hidden worms inside the pods. If unsure, then I suggest to break open the pods and remove the tender green beans.
Shelling the pods will take some time as they are not soft like your green pea pods. You have to first cut the ends or edges with a knife or scissor and then break open the pods.
When you have collected the fresh, green beans, either chose to steam them or cook in water in a pan or in the Instant pot adding water as required.
2. Boil 3 cups water with 1 teaspoon salt in a pot or saucepan on medium to high heat.
3. When the water begins to boil, add the edamame pods. Give the pot a stir.
4. Cook without a lid for 8 to 12 minutes depending on your preferences. I like to have softened, tender edamame beans so I cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes.
If using the Instant Pot, then add water and a steamer pan, then pressure cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
While it may seem counterintuitive, frozen beans will cook faster than fresh beans. Also depending on the size of pods, they can take less or more time to cook.
5. Strain the beans draining all the water. Feel free to shock them in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking and retain the vibrant green color, but note that this is not necessary.
6. Transfer the cooked beans on to a plate. Sprinkle the hot edamame pods with salt and toss them to coat. They are now ready to enjoy!
For the salt, opt to use sea salt crystals, pink salt, edible rock salt or kosher salt, or regular salt.
Make-Ahead Tip: One of the best things about edamame is that you can serve them hot, warm, or at room temperature, so feel free to make these in advance. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to a 1 to 2 days.
If you want to perk up the dish, then follow the recipe of spicy edamame below.
Spicy Edamame Recipe (Garlic Chilli Soyabean)
7. To make spicy edamame, use all of the edamame beans that you have cooked in the steps above.
Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil in a frying pan or skillet on low to medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
8. Add all of the cooked or boiled edamame beans. Mix well and sauté for a minute on low heat
9. Add 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, ½ teaspoon of white or black pepper, and 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce. Mix well and sauté for a minute.
I have used white pepper. You can omit white or black pepper. If out of dark soy sauce add 1 to 2 teaspoons of regular soy sauce or as needed.
10. Season with 1 teaspoon raw sugar or ½ teaspoon white (granulated) sugar, ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (or as required), and 2 teaspoons mirin (Japanese rice wine).
11. Mix and sauté for a minute on low heat. Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!
How to Eat Edamame Beans
Regardless of whether your edamame are boiled or stir-fried, edamame are best eaten with your hands. Place and hold one edamame bean pod in your mouth.
While still holding the ends of the pod, press the bean that is in the pod with your tongue and teeth and slide it towards the edge of the pod.
The pod should split, and you pop the remaining beans in your mouth using your teeth and fingers. Discard the pods.
Expert Tips
- Frozen edamame will cook faster than fresh! While that might seem backward, remember that most frozen veggies are flash cooked in hot water (a.k.a. “blanching”) before they are frozen for better consistency.
- Salt your water! Adding salt to the boiling or steaming water will help to flavor the beans as they cook.
- Feel free to go room temp. Steamed or boiled edamame don’t have to be served piping hot to be delicious. They are an excellent packed lunch or picnic snack.
- Quality of beans. Buy or source beans which look bright green. The edamame should be tender and fresh. Try to go for beans which do not have any hidden worms inside the pods. If unsure, then first shell the edamame pods and then steam only the inner green beans.
FAQs
Yes! Edamame beans are naturally gluten-free, so the recipe for simple steamed or boiled edamame is perfectly fit for eating as is. If you want to make the spicy chili garlic recipe, simply swap in tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce.
Absolutely! Steamed, boiled, or chili garlic edamame will all keep in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. If you prefer to eat them hot, simply microwave them until they reach the desired temperature.
If you want your garlic edamame to be milder, feel free to reduce the amount of chili you use to an acceptable heat level.
If you are out of chili flakes and want the edamame to be similarly spiced, try using sambal oelek in the same quantity, or use about ¼ to ½ the amount of cayenne pepper instead.
More Healthy Recipes To Try!
Mediterranean Cuisine
Vegetable Recipes
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Edamame Recipes | Salted and Spicy Edamame | Soyabean Chilli
Ingredients
For Cooking Edamame Beans
- 250 grams edamame – fresh or frozen
- 3 cups water or as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt for cooking the beans
- salt as required, to be sprinkled later on the edamame
For Spicy Edamame
- 2 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic – minced, or 6 to 7 medium garlic cloves
- 250 grams edamame beans – steamed or boiled
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes or according to taste
- ½ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper or as required
- 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce or 1 to 2 teaspoons regular soy sauce or as required
- 2 teaspoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar or as required, can add ½ teaspoon of white sugar instead
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt or as required
Instructions
Cooking Edamame
- Boil water with some salt on medium to high heat.
- When water begins to boil, add the edamame beans.
- Cook without lid for 8 to 12 minutes. If using instant pot, then steam using pressure cook function for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Frozen beans will cook faster than fresh beans. Also depending on the size of pods, they can take less or more time to cook.
- Strain all of the water once the beans are cooked.
- You can opt to shock the beans in ice cold water to retain color if you prefer.
- After draining all the water, transfer the beans onto a serving plate.
- Sprinkle some salt. Toss and mix the beans with the salt. Can serve hot or warm or at room temperature.
Spicy Edamame Recipe (Soyabean Chilli)
- Heat oil on a low to medium-low heat.
- Add minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
- Add the cooked edamame beans.
- Mix well and sauté for a minute on low heat
- Add red chili flakes, white pepper or black pepper, dark soy sauce. I have used white pepper. You can omit white or black pepper.
- Mix well and sauté for a minute.
- Season with salt, sugar and mirin.
- Mix and sauté for a minute on low heat.
- Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Instead of dark soy sauce, you can add light soy sauce or regular soys sauce. Add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of either.
- Ensure to use fresh and green edamame bean pods. You could also use frozen beans. Note that frozen edamame will take less time to cook than fresh edamame.
- For the salt, you can use either sea salt, pink salt, edible rock salt or kosher salt, or regular salt.
- Swap the mirin with rice vinegar and add a bit of sugar to balance the sourness of the vinegar.
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the cooked edamame and not the chilli garlic edamame.
Super recipes. Thanks for sharing these.
Glad that you find these recipes helpful. Welcome!