Edamame Pesto Pasta Recipe

Edamame pesto is a new pasta sauce I came up with this weekend. I made this pesto with edamame beans, roasted garlic, walnuts, walnut oil and dill. I added diced fire-roasted tomatoes to soften the sauce and melted brie cheese as the finishing touch. Lulu absolutely loved it and used some of the leftover pesto to make sandwiches this weekend.

I love experimenting with new ingredients, and this week I found not one, but two ways to use edamame beans. We usually just serve them plain as a snack, but now I know that they make incredible hummus and pesto!

Edamame Hummus Recipe

Edamame beans, also known as soybeans, are a common, healthy snack in our home. They're packed with fiber, protein and iron. So it's especially good because most of the family is vegetarian. To change things a little, I removed the thick velvety shells and made edamame hummus. The spread is made the same way I would make regular garbanzo hummus, except that I flavored it with feta cheese for a creamier texture.

I left the edamame hummus on the table while preparing dinner. Everyone spread it on warm pieces of garlic bread. It's a great way to keep everyone patient while I’m getting dinner ready. If you're planning on serving it for a party, you could create crostini appetizers. They're always a hit!

Edamame and Celery Salad with Roasted Peppers

I'm getting ready for our anniversary trip, so I haven't had a lot of time to cook. My aunt from Vietnam just came for a visit.  She happens to be a vegetarian as well. I met her seven years ago when she came to visit my family in Paris. I remembered that she loves edamame, or baby soybeans boiled in salt water.

I decided to make a nice salad for her that incorporated edamame. I added roasted red bell pepper, perlini mozzarella and celery, along with Beluga lentils for color. I made a dressing with garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and walnut oil.

The salad has a really nice contrast of flavors, colors and textures. If you've never tried edamame before, this is a great way to get acquainted with this tasty ingredient.