Edamame

Edamame

By: Amelia Attwood, RD, LD

Edamame, also known as vegetable soybeans, are young soybeans harvested before they ripen or harden. Edamame is a bright green bean and shell with a buttery, slightly nutty flavor similar to peas. It is available fresh or frozen, as well as in-shell or shelled. The in-shell fresh or frozen product may be what you see most often at stores locally. Edamame pods or beans can be boiled, steamed, microwaved or pan-seared. Edamame is commonly included in Asian cuisine and can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (1050 - 256 BC) in China. In China, the soybeans were designated one of the Five Sacred Grains.

Edamame is a vegetable that is packed with protein, making it the ideal vegetarian option. This vegetable contains high concentrations of vitamin K, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium. Vitamin K is important for stopping the bleed from a paper cut and maintaining strong and healthy bones to support your body. Folate in the form of folic acid is a vitamin commonly fortified into our foods for health maintenance benefits. Copper also participates in health maintenance with the nervous and immune systems.

 Cooked edamame can be added to salads, soups, dips, and stews or even blended to make a high-protein hummus. To incorporate that hummus into a meal, try using it as a spread on a sandwich as described in this newsletter’s recipe section. This month at school, students will taste Parmesan Garlic Roasted Edamame. If you are needing more simple produce recipes, check out our Simply Seasonal database of five ingredients or less and five steps or less recipes.