Edamame Recipe

Bring water to a boil

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Cook edamame

Add 1.5 cups frozen edamame (in pods) to the boiling water. Return to a boil, reduce heat slightly to maintain a vigorous simmer, and cook for 3–5 minutes until pods are bright green and tender-crisp. (If using thawed fresh edamame, cook 2–3 minutes.)

Drain and shock

Drain the edamame in a colander and immediately rinse briefly under cold running water or plunge into an ice bath for 30–60 seconds to stop cooking and preserve color. Drain thoroughly and shake off excess water.

Finish and season

Return the drained edamame to the warm saucepan or a bowl. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (or flaky salt). Toss or gently shake to coat evenly so salt adheres to the pods. If serving with lemon, squeeze wedges over the edamame to taste.

If using the spicy-sesame topping, combine 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl. Drizzle or toss this mixture with the cooked, drained edamame immediately after finishing so the flavors cling to the pods.