Looking to up your soy intake? Celebrate National Soy Foods month with these five easy, quick, and delicious edamame recipes.
April’s a busy month. From April Fool’s Day to National Stress Awareness Month to those April showers that bring May flowers, there’s plenty to celebrate as spring starts blooming—including National Soy Foods Month!
Now’s the time to try a new recipe, experiment with new soy foods, or encourage your loved ones to incorporate more soy into their daily meals. For all of our plant-based friends out there, soy foods are probably best known as a replacement for animal products like milk, cheese, and meat.
If you want to add more plant-based meals into your weekly rotation, soy is a perfect place to start. From breakfast to lunch to a midday snack, soy foods are more common than you might think.
If you’re new to soy, try starting out with these five delicious edamame recipes.
What Are Soy Foods?
Soy foods are made from the soybean, a humble legume that grows in pods that contain seeds. Of course, we call these little seeds “beans.” Soybean’s popularity is rising due to the influx of people trying to consume more plant-based products and fewer animal products. It’s good for you, good for the planet, and just plain delicious.
What Are the Benefits of Soy?
Not only is soy a great source of protein, but it it’s also lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than animal proteins. That’s partially why soy is considered such a heart-healthy food. It even contains zero cholesterol naturally, so swapping out some foods for soy replacements can go a long way.
Still, soy’s greatest strength is arguably in its unique protein profile. There are tons of amino acids that our bodies need, but nine of them cannot be created by our bodies naturally. That means we need to get these nine essential amino acids from our foods. If you’ve ever heard something referred to as a “complete protein,” that means it has all of the nine essential amino acids in one yummy ingredient.
Unlike a lot of other animal protein substitutes, soy foods contain all nine essential amino acids that your body needs but cannot make on its own. Even better? Soy foods have about 10 grams of fiber, unlike animal products, which contain zero grams of fiber.
Soy foods contain other vitamins and minerals help your body function, too. When you think of potassium, you probably think of bananas. Well, did you know that soybeans contain 886 mg of potassium in just one cup? That’s nearly one-third of the potassium your body needs in a day.
For plant-based peeps, it can be hard to consume enough iron every day. Iron helps your blood deliver oxygen around the body, so it’s kind of a must-have. Soy makes eating iron easy. A cup of soy has around 9 mg of iron in it, which is at minimum half of your daily needs!
Wow, what can’t soy do?
What Can We Make With Soy?
Okay, so now you’re sold on soy—but what can we make with it? Soy is actually the primary ingredient in plenty of your favorite easy-to-find ingredients. Popular soy products include:
Tofu
Tofu is a soft and smooth soy product created by curdling hot soymilk with a coagulant to form a block. What’s great about tofu is that it easily absorbs the flavors and spices you incorporate in your dishes when cooking: Throw it in some miso soup, fry it up in red pepper flakes for a crunchy addition to your favorite stir-fry, or find an entirely new way to love this versatile treat.
Tofu is packed with protein and B vitamins and makes for a great plant-based alternative to white meats.
Tempeh
To make tempeh, soybeans are fermented and pressed into a block that becomes rather tender and nutty in flavor. Tempeh is great to use as a meat alternative because it shares some of the same textures and can absorb flavors similarly to tofu.
If you are interested in more plant-based foods, tempeh is a great food to use as a meat substitute!
Soy milk
Soy milk is a popular dairy alternative made by soaking soybeans, grinding them up, and straining them. You can substitute soy milk in your coffee, your cereal, or in any baking recipe you can dream up.
Edamame
Edamame is versatile. These little green soybeans can be used and enjoyed in various dishes while providing lots of protein, good carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. They’re also packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, calcium, and Vitamin A. You harvest soybeans when they are still green and boil them in slightly salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
They are an easy snack to have on the go, after a long day, or sitting at your work desk. With tons of easy recipes, these edamame pods are delicious with some toasted sesame oil, blended into edamame hummus, or tossed into a fresh edamame salad.
Our Favorite Yummy Edamame Recipes
While you really can’t go wrong with any of the delicious soy options above, edamame is the star of today’s show—and this Japanese staple is more versatile than you might think. Here are five recipes that bring out the deliciousness of edamame in minutes.
1. Spicy Garlic Ginger Edamame
Edamame is truly a simple dish. You can make it slightly salted and call it a day, you can snazz it up a little bit… or you can snazz it up a lot.
Making your edamame taste just how you want is not too hard. One of our absolute favorite ways to make edamame is by adding garlic and ginger to it. This Spicy Garlic Ginger Edamame recipe is the perfect way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of edamame.
Use fresh or frozen edamame to start (both will give you the same great taste). Steam or boil the edamame until it is green and tender, then strain it. While this is happening, you’ll make a garlic and ginger sauce that you can toss the sprouts into.
Heat minced garlic cloves and ginger up in a pan with oil until it’s hot (about 1 minute) and take it off the heat. Add in soy sauce, some maple syrup, and the hot sauce of your choice, stirring it until it’s well mixed. Then, toss your cooked edamame into this delicious sauce for a spicy, flavorful kick.
2. Soy and Sesame Edamame
If spicy edamame isn’t your scene, soy and sesame oil honor the Asian flavors and preparation methods most commonly associated with this yummy side dish.
All you need to enjoy an easy and tasty edamame dish are two additional ingredients: sesame oil and soy sauce.
After boiling your edamame, put two tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the edamame to fry for two to three minutes. Next, stir in soy sauce and as much salt and pepper as your heart desires. You can even add some sesame seeds for a little extra flavor.
You can serve this immediately, so it’s nice and hot. Still, it tastes just as good after sitting in the refrigerator 😉
3. Chipotle-Garlic Edamame
While your edamame boils, you can create a delicious chipotle-garlic sauce that you’ll fall in love with. Mince up chipotle and garlic, then add that to a pan with olive oil and ground cumin, mixing as it thickens. Next, add the boiled shelled edamame into the pan and stir it around for a few minutes so that the sauce can coat the edamame.
You can add black pepper and salt to your edamame to your liking. The dish is best served hot or at room temperature. This recipe does have a bit of a kick, so the faint of heart might want to have some water nearby.
4. Roasted Parmesan Garlic Edamame
For something a little more involved and funky, you can try out this roasted Parmesan Garlic Edamame.
You’ll need to set your oven to 350 F, then grab two mixing bowls and a baking tray. In one bowl, combine the parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, toss your edamame in olive oil until it’s fully coated.
Add the parmesan mixture to the edamame (we love a plant-based parmesan, personally), and make sure it’s fully coated before spreading it onto the tray.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, watching the cheese so that you don’t burn it too much! When it comes out, it will be crispy and hot, so give it a few minutes before serving. Don’t be surprised if you want to eat this every day!
5. BYOS (Build Your Own Salad)
While Edamame is usually eaten on its own as an appetizer or a healthy snack, it can be added to your favorite salad as additional plant protein. Making a veggie-filled salad might seem overwhelming as you can put anything and everything in a salad, but that’s what makes it fun and unique. You can choose your favorite ingredients to craft a salad you’re guaranteed to enjoy.
Add in some edamame beans with a hint of sea salt and give yourself that energy boost. If you need some inspiration, consider signing up for Thistle. We have various delicious salads that we handcraft and put our all into.
You can try ours out and reuse recipes to get yourself more into salad making. Plus, if you are trying to eat more plant-based, Thistle makes it easy to figure out what you like and how to satisfy your nutritional needs, all while enjoying tasty, good-for-you food.
Edamame: It’s Soy Delicious
Edamame and the soybeans it's made of are high in protein, making them a great choice for your daily energy boost. Whether you serve them up with lunch or eat them as a yummy snack, you can’t go wrong with these quick and easy edamame treats.
Sources:
Soy Foods & Soy Protein | Cleveland Clinic
Quality of Soybean Products in Terms of Essential Amino Acids Composition | PMC
A Guide to Foods Rich in Soy | Patient Education | UCSF Health
Looking to up your soy intake? Celebrate National Soy Foods month with these five easy, quick, and delicious edamame recipes.
April’s a busy month. From April Fool’s Day to National Stress Awareness Month to those April showers that bring May flowers, there’s plenty to celebrate as spring starts blooming—including National Soy Foods Month!
Now’s the time to try a new recipe, experiment with new soy foods, or encourage your loved ones to incorporate more soy into their daily meals. For all of our plant-based friends out there, soy foods are probably best known as a replacement for animal products like milk, cheese, and meat.
If you want to add more plant-based meals into your weekly rotation, soy is a perfect place to start. From breakfast to lunch to a midday snack, soy foods are more common than you might think.
If you’re new to soy, try starting out with these five delicious edamame recipes.
What Are Soy Foods?
Soy foods are made from the soybean, a humble legume that grows in pods that contain seeds. Of course, we call these little seeds “beans.” Soybean’s popularity is rising due to the influx of people trying to consume more plant-based products and fewer animal products. It’s good for you, good for the planet, and just plain delicious.
What Are the Benefits of Soy?
Not only is soy a great source of protein, but it it’s also lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than animal proteins. That’s partially why soy is considered such a heart-healthy food. It even contains zero cholesterol naturally, so swapping out some foods for soy replacements can go a long way.
Still, soy’s greatest strength is arguably in its unique protein profile. There are tons of amino acids that our bodies need, but nine of them cannot be created by our bodies naturally. That means we need to get these nine essential amino acids from our foods. If you’ve ever heard something referred to as a “complete protein,” that means it has all of the nine essential amino acids in one yummy ingredient.
Unlike a lot of other animal protein substitutes, soy foods contain all nine essential amino acids that your body needs but cannot make on its own. Even better? Soy foods have about 10 grams of fiber, unlike animal products, which contain zero grams of fiber.
Soy foods contain other vitamins and minerals help your body function, too. When you think of potassium, you probably think of bananas. Well, did you know that soybeans contain 886 mg of potassium in just one cup? That’s nearly one-third of the potassium your body needs in a day.
For plant-based peeps, it can be hard to consume enough iron every day. Iron helps your blood deliver oxygen around the body, so it’s kind of a must-have. Soy makes eating iron easy. A cup of soy has around 9 mg of iron in it, which is at minimum half of your daily needs!
Wow, what can’t soy do?
What Can We Make With Soy?
Okay, so now you’re sold on soy—but what can we make with it? Soy is actually the primary ingredient in plenty of your favorite easy-to-find ingredients. Popular soy products include:
Tofu
Tofu is a soft and smooth soy product created by curdling hot soymilk with a coagulant to form a block. What’s great about tofu is that it easily absorbs the flavors and spices you incorporate in your dishes when cooking: Throw it in some miso soup, fry it up in red pepper flakes for a crunchy addition to your favorite stir-fry, or find an entirely new way to love this versatile treat.
Tofu is packed with protein and B vitamins and makes for a great plant-based alternative to white meats.
Tempeh
To make tempeh, soybeans are fermented and pressed into a block that becomes rather tender and nutty in flavor. Tempeh is great to use as a meat alternative because it shares some of the same textures and can absorb flavors similarly to tofu.
If you are interested in more plant-based foods, tempeh is a great food to use as a meat substitute!
Soy milk
Soy milk is a popular dairy alternative made by soaking soybeans, grinding them up, and straining them. You can substitute soy milk in your coffee, your cereal, or in any baking recipe you can dream up.
Edamame
Edamame is versatile. These little green soybeans can be used and enjoyed in various dishes while providing lots of protein, good carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. They’re also packed with nutrients like Vitamin C, calcium, and Vitamin A. You harvest soybeans when they are still green and boil them in slightly salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
They are an easy snack to have on the go, after a long day, or sitting at your work desk. With tons of easy recipes, these edamame pods are delicious with some toasted sesame oil, blended into edamame hummus, or tossed into a fresh edamame salad.
Our Favorite Yummy Edamame Recipes
While you really can’t go wrong with any of the delicious soy options above, edamame is the star of today’s show—and this Japanese staple is more versatile than you might think. Here are five recipes that bring out the deliciousness of edamame in minutes.
1. Spicy Garlic Ginger Edamame
Edamame is truly a simple dish. You can make it slightly salted and call it a day, you can snazz it up a little bit… or you can snazz it up a lot.
Making your edamame taste just how you want is not too hard. One of our absolute favorite ways to make edamame is by adding garlic and ginger to it. This Spicy Garlic Ginger Edamame recipe is the perfect way to dip your toes into the wonderful world of edamame.
Use fresh or frozen edamame to start (both will give you the same great taste). Steam or boil the edamame until it is green and tender, then strain it. While this is happening, you’ll make a garlic and ginger sauce that you can toss the sprouts into.
Heat minced garlic cloves and ginger up in a pan with oil until it’s hot (about 1 minute) and take it off the heat. Add in soy sauce, some maple syrup, and the hot sauce of your choice, stirring it until it’s well mixed. Then, toss your cooked edamame into this delicious sauce for a spicy, flavorful kick.
2. Soy and Sesame Edamame
If spicy edamame isn’t your scene, soy and sesame oil honor the Asian flavors and preparation methods most commonly associated with this yummy side dish.
All you need to enjoy an easy and tasty edamame dish are two additional ingredients: sesame oil and soy sauce.
After boiling your edamame, put two tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the edamame to fry for two to three minutes. Next, stir in soy sauce and as much salt and pepper as your heart desires. You can even add some sesame seeds for a little extra flavor.
You can serve this immediately, so it’s nice and hot. Still, it tastes just as good after sitting in the refrigerator 😉
3. Chipotle-Garlic Edamame
While your edamame boils, you can create a delicious chipotle-garlic sauce that you’ll fall in love with. Mince up chipotle and garlic, then add that to a pan with olive oil and ground cumin, mixing as it thickens. Next, add the boiled shelled edamame into the pan and stir it around for a few minutes so that the sauce can coat the edamame.
You can add black pepper and salt to your edamame to your liking. The dish is best served hot or at room temperature. This recipe does have a bit of a kick, so the faint of heart might want to have some water nearby.
4. Roasted Parmesan Garlic Edamame
For something a little more involved and funky, you can try out this roasted Parmesan Garlic Edamame.
You’ll need to set your oven to 350 F, then grab two mixing bowls and a baking tray. In one bowl, combine the parmesan cheese, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, toss your edamame in olive oil until it’s fully coated.
Add the parmesan mixture to the edamame (we love a plant-based parmesan, personally), and make sure it’s fully coated before spreading it onto the tray.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, watching the cheese so that you don’t burn it too much! When it comes out, it will be crispy and hot, so give it a few minutes before serving. Don’t be surprised if you want to eat this every day!
5. BYOS (Build Your Own Salad)
While Edamame is usually eaten on its own as an appetizer or a healthy snack, it can be added to your favorite salad as additional plant protein. Making a veggie-filled salad might seem overwhelming as you can put anything and everything in a salad, but that’s what makes it fun and unique. You can choose your favorite ingredients to craft a salad you’re guaranteed to enjoy.
Add in some edamame beans with a hint of sea salt and give yourself that energy boost. If you need some inspiration, consider signing up for Thistle. We have various delicious salads that we handcraft and put our all into.
You can try ours out and reuse recipes to get yourself more into salad making. Plus, if you are trying to eat more plant-based, Thistle makes it easy to figure out what you like and how to satisfy your nutritional needs, all while enjoying tasty, good-for-you food.
Edamame: It’s Soy Delicious
Edamame and the soybeans it's made of are high in protein, making them a great choice for your daily energy boost. Whether you serve them up with lunch or eat them as a yummy snack, you can’t go wrong with these quick and easy edamame treats.
Sources:
Soy Foods & Soy Protein | Cleveland Clinic
Quality of Soybean Products in Terms of Essential Amino Acids Composition | PMC
A Guide to Foods Rich in Soy | Patient Education | UCSF Health
