Steamed edamame beans coated in a Japanese 7-spice blend make an easy, quick, high-protein appetizer or snack.

You will impress your party guests with this easy appetizer that pairs beautifully with a beer or a margarita. A unique Japanese 7-spice blend coats the edamame beans in their pods. There are only 5 ingredients and it takes barely 10 minutes of your time.

Japanese 7-spice blend

Japanese 7-spice blend also known as “shichimi togarashi” is a spice mixture containing 7 ingredients: red chili pepper, Japanese pepper, orange peel, white and black sesame seeds, hemp seeds, ground ginger and seaweed. It can be found in the spice section of your grocery or specialty Asian store or online. The unique aromatic and complex blend of spices transforms many foods to the next level. It’s a flavour explosion in your mouth with its bold spicy taste.

What are edamame beans?

Edamame are green soybeans harvested before maturing and are most commonly sold frozen as shown in the above photo. They’re healthy, low calorie and pack a powerful nutrition punch with lots of protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Very popular in Asian cuisine, and commonly used as an appetizer. They can be found in the frozen section of your grocery or specialty Asian food store either in the pod or shelled. For this recipe, make sure to buy edamame in their pods. They cook quickly in 3 to 5 minutes, and once cooked both the pod and the bean inside turn a vivid green colour. They have a plain taste on their own, which is why it’s best to coat them with vibrant seasonings and salt.

How to eat edamame beans in their pods

To eat these perfectly seasoned edamame beans, lick the spice flavouring off the outside of the pod, then split the pod open with your teeth. Squeeze the beans into your mouth discarding the empty pod. That’s how you experience a great flavour sensation! Serve them alongside an empty bowl to make it easy for your guests to discard the pods. The edamame bean pods are not edible, they’re slightly fuzzy, tough and fibrous.

Ingredients needed

Frozen edamame beans in pod
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Salt
7-spice blend (shichimi togarashi)

How to make these edamame beans

Keep edamame beans frozen until ready to cook
Boil water in a medium-large saucepan
Add edamame beans and bring the water back up to a boil
Cook for 3 – 4 minutes just until tender
Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water
Pat the beans dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels
Transfer beans to a bowl
Drizzle with olive oil, sesame oil, salt and 7-spice blend
Toss to combine
Serve warm or room temperature

What else can I use Japanese 7-spice blend for

I’m addicted to this versatile Japanese 7-spice blend (shichimi togarashi) – it will awaken your taste buds! It’s perfect with so many foods and I love to use it to add pizzazz too:

broccoli, green beans, spinach, brussels sprouts
snow peas, sugar snap peas
corn on the cob
kale chips
roast potatoes
pastas, soups and noodle dishes
avocados (my personal favourite)
eggs
popcorn
chicken, pork, beef or seafood

Recipe

Edamame Beans with Japanese 7-Spice Blend

Edamame beans steamed in their pods are coated in a Japanese 7-spice blend make a quick and easy high-protein appetizer or snack.

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

454 g package frozen in-pod edamame beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon Japanese 7-spice blend (shichimi togarashi)

Instructions

Bring a medium-large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add frozen in-shell edamame beans. Once the water comes back to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
Immediately drain edamame beans and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat the beans dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
Transfer the beans to a medium-large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sesame oil, kosher salt and Japanese 7-spice blend (shichimi togarashi). Toss to coat evenly.
Serve warm or at room temperature.