Edamame
intro
Bright, briny salted boiled edamame is a quick, protein-packed shareable snack with a fresh, nutty pop in every bite.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the edamame
If using fresh edamame, rinse pods under cold running water for 30 seconds, and trim tough stem ends with kitchen shears. If using frozen edamame, do not thaw; keep frozen until cooking to prevent mushy texture.
Boil salted water
Fill a large stockpot with 2 liters (8 cups) of cold water, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, approximately 4-5 minutes. The water should taste as salty as seawater to properly season pods through the skin.
Cook the edamame
Carefully add all 450g of edamame pods to the boiling water, stir once with a slotted spoon, and keep heat on high to maintain a steady rolling boil. Set a timer for 5 minutes for frozen edamame, or 4 minutes for fresh edamame; do not cover the pot, as trapped steam will dull the pods’ bright green color.
Test for doneness
When the timer goes off, fish out one pod with the slotted spoon, run it under cold water for 10 seconds to cool, and pop a bean out of the pod. Properly cooked edamame will be tender with a slight firm, snappy center, with no raw starchy aftertaste. If undercooked, boil for 30 additional seconds and retest.
Drain edamame thoroughly
Pour the cooked edamame into a large colander set in the sink, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds to remove all excess surface water from the pods. Do not rinse the edamame after cooking, as this will wash off salt seasoning and cool pods too quickly.
Season and serve
Transfer the hot, drained edamame to a large serving bowl, sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt, and toss for 15 seconds to coat every pod. Serve immediately while warm, with a small empty bowl on the side for discarded pods.
Tips
2.Frozen edamame is just as high-quality as fresh for this recipe, as it is flash-frozen at peak ripeness to lock in nutrients and taste, with no thawing required.
3.For a fun flavor twist, toss finished edamame with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, a pinch of Japanese shichimi togarashi, or 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil before serving.
OMG this is exactly the edamame I get at my favorite sushi spot! I’ve been overcomplicating it for years adding garlic and weird seasonings, turns out just the right amount of salt while boiling is all you need. My kids gobbled up a whole bowl before dinner even hit the table last night. 10/10 will be making this weekly for meal prep snacks!
Total game changer for weeknight dinners! I threw these together in literally 8 minutes while my teriyaki chicken was finishing up in the oven. Perfect salty little appetizer to hold everyone over while they wait for the main course. No fancy ingredients, zero fuss, exactly what I need on busy school nights.
SO good! I brought a big batch of these to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and the bowl was empty in 15 minutes. Multiple people asked for the recipe and I just sent them this link! I added a tiny extra pinch of flaky sea salt on top right after draining for a little extra crunch, highly recommend that little tweak.
Wait is there a trick to getting the salt to stick? I followed the recipe exactly but most of the salt washed off when I drained the edamame. They were still fine, just not as salty as I wanted.
My grandson is obsessed with edamame when we go out for hibachi, so I made this for his 10th birthday dinner last week. He said it tasted even better than the restaurant’s! I didn’t think something so easy would be such a hit. We’ll be having these all summer long on the back porch with burgers and grilled chicken.
Perfect quick snack for work from home days! I keep a bag of frozen edamame in my freezer at all times now, and this takes barely any time to whip up between meetings. Way healthier than reaching for chips when the 3pm slump hits. I love that it doesn’t leave me feeling sluggish after snacking.
Wait has anyone tried adding a little Old Bay to these instead of plain salt? I did that last night for our backyard seafood boil night and it was chef’s kiss. The base recipe is so solid it works with whatever seasoning you’re in the mood for, too.
Super easy, no frills recipe that delivers exactly what it promises. I used frozen shelled edamame because that’s all I had in the freezer, worked like a charm. Cooked it for 5 minutes like the recipe said, came out perfectly tender crisp, no mush. Great go-to side.
I was so nervous I’d overcook these because I have a bad track record of turning veggies mushy, but the short cook time was spot on. I served these with a little side of soy sauce for dipping like they do at my local ramen shop, and my roommate said it felt like we were getting takeout without the crazy delivery markup. Will be adding this to our regular dinner rotation for sure!