I have to admit that part of the reason why I like edamame so much is the work that goes with eating the steamed soy beans. I like picking up each stalk, tasting the salt lightly covering it (or, in case of the steamed edamame at Wagamama, one of my favorite take-out places, the chili and garlic salt lightly covering it – yum). It’s almost rewarding, and the extra effort spent sucking each bean out of the stalk makes me eat slower, gives me more time to enjoy the flavor.
So when I saw the frozen, shelled edamame at Trader Joe’s, I ignored it. That’s no fun! I want my steamed edamame the classic way, I thought.
And then I saw the edamame hummus. Now, I admit I am a sucker for hummus. My favorites are the Sabra Suprememly Spicy hummus and the garlicky homemade hummus from Dave’s Fresh Pasta. I like hummus in salads, in sandwiches, with carrot sticks, pita chips, pretzels. As long as it has hummus, I’ll eat it. So without a second thought, I picked up the container of Trader Joe’s edamame hummus, all thoughts of “I like eating steamed, whole edamame” flying out of my head.
This hummus is made completely out of edamame, no chickpeas at all, and it is made with sunflower oil instead of olive oil. It contain the other ingredients usually used in hummus, such as tahini, garlic, sea salt and lemon juice. It has slightly more calories than regular (plain) hummus: 2 tablespoons of the edamame hummus has 90 calories, compared to about 60 calories of chickpea hummus.
As for the taste? It is very good. I first tried it with plain pretzel thins, and it really reminded me of guacamole – not just because of the color, but because of the stronger garlic taste. Then I tried it in a sandwich, with spicy habanero cheddar cheese, and it was so flavorful that I considered making another one (I didn’t). I haven’t tried it in a salad yet but I already have an idea of what I’ll mix it with: I’ll add a dollop of the edamame hummus to spring greens, cottage cheese, carrots, cucumbers and grape tomatoes, and dress it with a simple vinaigrette.
Have you tried edamame hummus yet? Any favorite recipes/ideas?
I hope you are enjoying the holiday weekend!
PS – If you are going to a 4th of July BBQ, I think this will be a crowd-pleaser with crackers and crudites.
Hi! I’m Bianca Garcia. I love food, running, yoga, sangria, and my job. I'm an advertising professional, social media enthusiast, blogger, freelance writer, and obsessive list-maker. I think about dessert constantly. 
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