If you are looking for a recipe addiction that is healthy, this is the one! Mixing raw honey (antioxidants, digestive health) with miso, which is fermented soybeans (probiotics), red pepper flakes (cancer reduction, metabolism booster), and edamame (protein and fiber) is not only yummy but a powerhouse of nutritional medicine.
This recipe was inspired by some edamame I ate while at a restaurant in Maui. I relished every single bite and wanted more. Once I got home, I searched for the recipe and came up with a few that seemed similar so I combined what I thought my tastebuds told me with those recipes to come up with something I’d feel good about eating. I also wanted the sweetness to come from raw honey, which meant I didn’t want to heat it other than when it comes in contact with the cooked edamame.
Using Raw Honey
As a beekeeper, I hear lots of ways that people use raw honey. I love that people cherish it as much as I do, but somehow I was hearing that lots of them simply take on a teaspoon like it’s medicine or put it in a cup of hot coffee. Those are very fine ways of eating raw honey, but there are much better ways of adding it to your diet. Besides, hot drinks can destroy the beneficial life that is in honey.
Edamame
Just a note on eating edamame this way. Most people probably know that you eat only the beans inside the edamame pods. If you don’t know that, and try to eat the whole thing, you are going to think I am crazy for even liking the stuff. Think of edamame just like dipping artichoke leaves in lemon butter and then scraping all the goodness into your mouth as you pull it through your teeth. Put the whole pod in your mouth while holding one end and simply drag it through your partially closed teeth to pull the beans out. You get the delicious coating on the pods and the beans inside. Then drop the empty pods into a bowl to discard. It’s definitely finger food that is a little messy, but dang it is good!
Palo Verde Pods
If you are lucky enough to live in places that have Palo Verde trees like we do in Arizona (It’s our state tree by the way), then you can harvest these precious pods in the spring after the bees have pollinated the flowers and the seeds begin to grow. I like to grab them when they are plump, yet still pliable. Cook them for only a minute or two in salted boiling water, then coat with this dressing. Note: for more information on Palo Verde trees, go HERE.
Raw Honey and Miso Edamame
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen edamame or Palo Verde pods
- 3 tbsp red miso paste
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- red pepper flakes, siracha, or chiltepin flakes to taste (your spiciness level)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix everything except edamame
- Cook edamame according to directions in salted water. If using fresh Palo Verde pods, cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain hot edamame or Palo Verde pods and place in a large mixing bowl. Combine with dressing to thoroughly coat pods.
- Serve in one large bowl or individual bowls with an additional bowl for discarded pods.
