A Cheesy, Crispy Take on Edamame: Meet Your New Snack Addiction

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Tell me the truth: How do you eat your edamame? Does it involve a trip to the neighborhood sushi joint and unleashing the plump soy beans from their salty, slightly furry pods? Yeah, me too. While I love them simply boiled like that, I’m here to introduce you to my new favorite way to enjoy these little cuties.

I always keep a bag of edamame in the freezer.
Photo by Rocky Luten

I first came upon this “recipe” by way of an Instagram story. My friend was readying what looked to be well-seasoned edamame on a parchment-lined tray. “What is this??” I DM’ed him. “Olive oil garlic powder minced garlic salt pepper parmesan cheese…400°. 10 min. Boneappletea.” (Yes, I am transcribing this verbatim, ha!) Well, I love all of those things. And I’m always on the hunt for good, homemade snacks. I was intrigued.

After digging around and finding plenty of iterations (even country crooner Trisha Yearwood has a version in her cookbook, Trisha’s Table: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life!), I recreated them at home using garlic powder, grated Parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper, plus some lemon zest for brightness. Yum. Some were crunchy, some were chewy—all were cheesy, savory, and plenty snackable. I marveled at how easy it was to throw this together. Endlessly riff-friendly, too. While the original flavors are great on their own, I can see them playing well with a variety of spices in your cabinet. Prefer your snacks spicy? Throw in some cayenne, smoky chili, or even powdered wasabi (for you wasabi pea fans out there). Have a sweet tooth? Mix in a bit of brown sugar or honey to hit that sweet and salty vibe. Onion powder, sumac, paprika, cumin, garam masala, chopped fresh or dried herbs… they’d all feel welcome here.

Blink and you might miss 'em—these disappear quickly! — Blink and you might miss ’em—these disappear quickly!
Photo by Rocky Luten

These roasted edamame are great on their own (most excellent with a cold beer, if that’s your style), but as we discovered in the office, the salty beans are also delightful as an unexpected salad garnish. Try them out for yourself and let us know how they turn out!

How do you like your edamame? Share your favorite recipes with us below.