Charred Edamame Beans Recipe

Bring water to boil

Pour 6 cups water into a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Blanch edamame

Add 1 cup frozen edamame in pods to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender.

Shock and drain

Immediately drain the edamame in a colander and run under cold water or plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain very well and pat dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.

Heat pan

Place a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and let it get very hot, about 2 minutes.

Char edamame

Add 1 teaspoon neutral oil to the hot pan and immediately add the drained, dry edamame in a single layer. Let the pods sit undisturbed 1–2 minutes to develop charred brown spots, then toss or shake the pan and continue cooking 2–3 minutes more until most pods have blistered or browned in places.

Add sauce ingredients

Reduce heat to medium. Drizzle 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the edamame. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chili flakes and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss quickly with tongs or a spatula so the sauce coats the pods and cooks off briefly (30–45 seconds).

Season and garnish

Transfer the charred edamame to a serving bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt over the pods. Squeeze the juice of half a lime (about 1/2 each) over the top if using, and toss lightly. Garnish with 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions and optional micro herbs or cilantro.

Serve

Serve immediately while warm as a side or snack. To eat, pop the beans out of the pods with your teeth.