Crispy Garlic Edamame, Serves 4

As passionate early educators, we believe healthy habits start early. To share this mindset with children and students in our school community, we implement our comprehensive Grow Fit® program in the classroom. It’s designed to encourage a lifetime of smart choices and a love of movement through balanced nutrition and regular physical activity.

The recipes we share with you on our blog always meet our personal Grow Fit standards. To take this effort even further, we’ve joined the Partnership for a Healthier America and are working to promote the Veggies Early & Often initiative. By offering a bigger variety of choices, more often, we hope to help raise the next generation of veggie lovers who will continue to reap the health benefits of eating a colorful diet.

March is National Nutrition Month and the beginning of our new effort to highlight one vegetable per month for the remainder of the year. Each one is served in our schools! First up is edamame. We’re going to show you how to make Crispy Garlic Edamame—a delicious, snackable veggie.

If you’re not familiar, edamame is a young soybean and an impressive source of plant-based protein. They’re a popular appetizer in Japanese cuisine and make a great addition to stir fry. Baking the little green pods gives them a simple, savory crunch. Adding cheese takes them to the next level without much effort.

Grab this stuff:

2 cups raw edamame, shelled
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup parmesan or mozzarella, finely shredded
¼ tsp. garlic powder

Let’s get cooking:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix cheese and garlic powder.
3. In another medium bowl, add fresh edamame. (Note: If thawing frozen edamame, place in a bowl of cool water for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, drain and pat dry.)
4. Add olive oil to edamame and toss.
5. Pour cheese and garlic mixture over edamame. Stir to coat.
6. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.          
8. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

YOU can help raise veggie-loving kids too! Download this Healthy and Fresh at Home Cookbook provided for FREE by the Partnership for a Healthier America. Like us, the nonprofit believes everyone should have access to good food that’s affordable, sustainable, and nutritious.

*This recipe is veggie-forward and was approved on 2/17/23 by the Partnership for a Healthier America to meet the Veggies Early & Often guidelines.