Edamame, green soybeans

Eda means branch in Japanese, mom his beans. Edamame are literally ‘beans on a branch’. They are the young, immature legumes of the soybean plant. These are harvested before the pods have had a chance to harden.

The green pod itself is stringy and inedible, but inside you will find about three or four green edible beans. They look a bit like green peas or green beans and taste nutty.

Protein, iron and fiber

Edamame beans have a high nutritional value. They are rich in protein, iron, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium, making them an ideal vegetable for vegetarians and vegans. It also contains a lot of fiber and vitamins A and C.

There are about 120 kilocalories in 100 grams of edamame, so a bowl of beans is a slim snack.

Buy: from the freezer

Edamame is available at well-stocked (Asian) supermarkets, health food stores and toko’s. You can usually find them frozen in the freezer, in a one-pound bag, complete with pods or already peeled. Sometimes it says ‘frozen soy beans’ on the package instead of edamame.

Preparation

Would you like to eat the edamame as a snack or side dish? Leave the pods around the beans and do not thaw them. Boil the frozen edamame in salted water for a few minutes or steam the beans. Then shock them under the cold tap, let them drain and, if necessary, pat them dry with some kitchen paper. Sprinkle some sea salt and/or pepper to taste and they are ready to use. Push the beans out of the pod with your finger or sink your teeth into it and scoop the beans out. After cooking, edamame can be kept for two days in the refrigerator.

Are you going to use the beans in a dish? Then peeled, frozen beans are easier. You can make a dip of them, but they also taste good with a (noodle) salad. Or braise the shelled beans in a little butter and eat them plain as a vegetable.