Roasted Edamame

In Japan, edamame is usually served boiled and then tossed with a generous sprinkle of salt. It's a simple, elegant preparation, but edamame is one of my favorite summer vegetables. Over the years, I've explored different ways of cooking them including spicy stir-fried edamame and edamame steamed with sake.

The latter has been one of my favorite methods because it prevents the naturally umami-rich amino acids in these immature soybeans from leaching out when you boil them. This got me wondering... could other waterless cooking methods be used to cook edamame?

It turns out the answer is "YES"! 

By coating the pod in salt and olive oil and roasting them in a hot oven, these humble legumes transform into an irresistibly savory treat. Roasting not only prevents the loss of flavor, you also get some Maillard browning, which gives the edamame a complex flavor profile that's both smoky and nutty, with a hint of sweetness. They don't slip out of their shells quite as easily as their boiled counterparts, but the evaporation gives the beans a firm, satisfying texture that kind of reminds me of warm nuts.