Steamed Edamame with Tarragon Dipping Sauce

Edamame are fresh green soybeans in their pods. They are popular in Asia, particularly in Japan where they are served as a snack. Introduce them to family and friends as a fun finger food.

“They can become rather addictive when dipped in a tarragon sauce,”says Registered Dietitian and CIA Associate Professor Jennifer Stack. Dip the bean in the sauce and then put the whole pod in your mouth. While holding on to the end of the pod, gently pull the pod through your teeth and the beans will pop out into your mouth. Discard the pod and move onto the next one. Try this side dish with Stack’s salmon and wild rice stuffed cabbage rolls for a delicious Asian-inspired meal.

The following recipes are from Jennifer Stack’s new book, The CIA’s The Diabetes-Friendly Kitchen (Wiley, 2012).

Steamed Edamame
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups edamame in pods (frozen or fresh)
• ½ cup Tarragon Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil and add salt.
2. Boil edamame until beans are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and serve with dipping sauce.

Tarragon Dipping Sauce
(Makes ¾ cup)

Ingredients

• ¾ teaspoon arrowroot
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced tarragon
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil

Directions

1. Dissolve the arrowroot in 1 tablespoon of chicken broth to make paste. Bring remaining broth to a boil.
2. Stir paste into broth and allow broth to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and add vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, tarragon, shallot, and garlic.
3. Whisk in olive oil.

Recipes and photo courtesy The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved.