Spicy Edamame with Seafood Garlic Butter (vegan)

Spicy Edamame with Seafood Garlic Butter - Nutty edamame coated with salty and spicy goodness! Learn how to make this perfect appetizer here! This is vegan-friendly!

This recipe was born purely based on my husband's comment "Edamame is like a vegan form of a crab! Lots of work for a little bit of meat!" If you think about it, eating edamame in the pod is pretty similar to picking meat off of crab!

Edamame

Edamame (pronounced EH-DA-MA-MEH) is a type of immature soybean that was originated in east Asia. The pods are boiled in salted water and you can eat the beans inside the pods. You can easily find edamame appetizers in many restaurants these days and it continues to gain its popularity in America. 

What does it taste like?

Although edamame pod is not toxic, the pod itself is inedible. You only eat the beans inside of the pod. They are slightly sweet and packed with a nutty flavor. These bright green beans are tender but not mushy. Its texture is similar to a boiled peanut but slightly softer. 

Is it good for you?

Edamame is high in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. If you are interested in the health benefits of edamame, check out this article here. 

How to cook edamame

• Fresh and frozen edamame in pods - You can blanch them in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Shelled edamame - Most shelled edamame are usually blanched first and frozen. So you can simply thaw and serve right away or blanch them quickly (a minute or two) from a frozen package. 
• Microwavable edamame - They are easy to find in the frozen vegetable section at a grocery store these days. You can simply pop the whole bag in the microwave to steam them. I am using the microwave steamable edamame for this recipe!

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How to make Seafood Garlic Butter

Have you been to Hot N Juicy Crawfish? This is obviously before I converted to vegetarianism but I had one of the most amazing seafood boils at this place. Their salty, spicy, and garlicky butter sauce just put everything over the top. 

Because eating edamame is like a vegan version of eating crab (according to my hubby), I was in search of copycat Hot N Juicy sauce. Then I came across this recipe, Garlic butter seafood boil from Razzle Dazzle Life, and my recipe was adopted by this very recipe. 

Ingredients 

• Vegan butter
• Minced garlic
• Old bay seasoning
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Paprika
• Onion powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Sugar
• Hot sauce of your choice

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Helpful tips on making the sauce

• When cooking the garlic, it's important not to burn the garlic. Once the garlic crisps, the flavor profile change. Cook the minced garlic in low heat for a short time. 
• Mix all the spices except sugar and hot sauce in a bowl. If you were to add each spice individually, you are risking the butter to brown and garlic to crisps. Although the sauce will still be delicious, it won't be the same. 
• Customize the heat level by adjusting cayenne pepper, paprika, butter, and sugar. 

Adjusting the heat

• If you are not a fan of spicy food, omit cayenne pepper and reduce the amount of paprika and Old bay seasoning. Old bay seasoning already has cayenne and paprika so you will still be able to enjoy the flavor. 
• You can also add more butter at the end or add a little more sugar to balance the heat. 

How to make this recipe

1. Cook the edamame in the pods according to its package. I used microwave steamable edamame.
2. Once the edamame is cooked, transfer them into a big bowl and season with a little bit of salt (¼ teaspoon). If your edamame is already salted, then omit this step.
3. Prepare the sauce. Cook the garlic in the butter and add all the spices. Remove the pan from the heat and add sugar and hot sauce, if using. 
4. Pour the sauce over the edamame and mix until everything is well coated with the sauce. 
5. Serve right away.

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How to eat edamame (in the pod)

When eating edamame in the pod, you can squeeze the bean out of a pod and directly into your mouth. 

1. Hold on to the end of the pod and put the whole thing in your mouth. This is when you are first introduced to the salty, spicy, and garlicky sauce that coats the edamame. 
2. By using your front teeth, push and squeeze the end part of the bean. This will help the beans to pop out of the pod. 
3. Slowly pull the pod out of your mouth and lick the sauce that's covering the edamame. 
4. Enjoy and repeat!

How to store and reheat

You can store them in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating them, you can place them into a microwave-safe container and heat them until the butter melts. It won't take long so I recommend heating them in 30-second increments. 

Serving suggestion

Spicy edamame with seafood garlic butter is an excellent appetizer to any Japanese-inspired dinner! 

• Avocado cucumber sushi roll
• Vegan onigirazu (rice ball sandwich)
• Vegan fish stick sushi bowl

If you want to recreate the atmosphere of sitting around with friends, eating finger food, and enjoying a glass of beer, try serving the edamame with these appetizers:

• Korean veggie tofu mandu/dumplings
• Vegan air-fried spring rolls
• Homemade vegetarian Detroit-style pizza

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