Succotash is an easy and simple side dish for a busy weeknight. In this succotash recipe, replace lima beans (yuk!) with edamame for a buttery, delicious taste.
Succotash Is Delicious
I confess, I had no idea succotash was a real dish when I was growing up. I just thought it was a funny saying in a cartoon.
Low and behold, it really is a dish! Typically, succotash is made with lima beans, corn, and a few other ingredients, which might include a salted pork (bacon, anyone?), potatoes, onion, okra, or other goodies. Martha Stewart adds zucchini, which I have never done, but I think it would be delish.
There is a history to this dish, and while I will send you here to read about it, I’m no expert. I do know it is often eaten in the southern states of the US, and that corn and lima beans are the primary ingredients.
Substitute For Lima Beans
I do not like lima beans. In fact, I am not a fan of beans in general. I was probably 25 years old before I could stand eating chili. (Now I love it, but it took a long time.)
Enter edamame!
Where I live (Michigan), you can buy edamame frozen, either shelled or still in the pods. For this recipe, I buy them shelled and use about 1 cup. No need to thaw the edamame in advance–it cooks up easily enough with the rest of the ingredients.
I’ve found that edamame has a buttery, sweet taste. Mr. Alexander and I steam the pods for a snack and joke it tastes like popcorn.
I’m serious. It does!
Easy Instructions
This recipe is very easy to make, simply because you can adjust the amounts depending on how many people you are feeding. (Or how old they are–I went from using a half-cup of each veg when Biscuit was 6-7-8 years old, to using 1 cup of each veg now that he’s 12 and eats everything.)
I also love this recipe because the edamame and corn are already frozen. I can keep them in my freezer and just buy the red pepper and green onion to round things out. That allows me a fair amount of freedom on what days/weeks I decide to toss this together.
The important step is to separate the white and green parts of the onion. You’ll need to sauté the white parts before you add in the frozen corn, frozen edamame, and fresh chopped red pepper. The green parts of the onion are added just at the end.
This version of succotash is easy and delicious. The ingredients are, literally:
EVOO
Green Onion
Edamame (frozen)
Corn (frozen)
Red Pepper (fresh)
Butter
Salt and Pepper
That’s it.
As I said, the white part of the onion needs to be sautéed in olive oil until it is fragrant. The frozen edamame, frozen corn, and fresh diced bell pepper are added next. They only need to cook for perhaps 5 minutes to heat through, but be sure to do a taste test before serving.
No one wants an accidental frozen edamame on their plate.
The Final Touch
Once the corn, edamame, and pepper are heated through, add the green part of the onion and let it cook for 1-2 minutes to take the bite out.
Remove from heat, mix in butter, then season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Voila! Spork it!
Edamame Succotash
Ingredients
- 2 tbps extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 stalks green onions diced, whites and greens separated
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 tbsp butter
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil for 1-2 minutes over medium heat or until it becomes translucent. Add white parts of onion, sautéing for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- To the hot pan add frozen corn, frozen edamame, and diced red pepper. Sauté, stirring regularly, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Add diced greens of the onion, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Melt 4 tbpns of butter into pan, stirring well. Return to heat if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
