Edamame beans have quickly become one of my favorite legumes, and it’s not just because they have a wonderful flavor, but because they are also highly nutritious.
For those who don’t really know where these beans are gotten from, edamame beans are the soft and tasty younger versions of soybeans harvested when their pods are still young and green.
The older soybeans are dry and nowhere as tasty as these edamame beans.
Edamame beans are popular in Asian cuisine where they are served as a snack.
They may be served as an appetizer in some Asian restaurants or paired with different foods.
These beans can also be used as ingredients in several recipes where they add their crunchiness and buttery flavor.
Is edamame gluten-free?
Plain edamame beans are gluten-free.
This young soybean falls into the same category as other legumes which are also gluten-free.
However, edamame beans are often paired with other foods which may not be gluten-free such as soy sauce.
Always check to ensure that no other gluten-containing food is paired with edamame beans.
What is gluten?
To help you understand why plain edamame does not contain gluten, we would explain what gluten is and where it can be found.
Gluten is a type of protein that can be found in some cereal grains such as wheat, barley, and rye.
Foods that also contain some amounts of wheat might contain gluten.
Although soy sauce is a soy product, some types of soy sauce contain gluten because they are made with some amount of wheat.
People who have conditions known as gluten sensitivity or celiac disease react to the gluten inside gluten-containing foods, and they could come down with symptoms such as abdominal pains, bloating, etc.
Edamame is a legume and since gluten is not found naturally in legumes, plain edamame beans are gluten-free.
Some recipes combine edamame beans with other foods and condiments, always check to ensure that the other ingredients are gluten-free.
As long as edamame is not combined with other gluten-containing, then your edamame meal or snack is gluten-free.
Eating edamame beans
The edamame beans are first cooked thoroughly before consumption.
Salt may be added slightly to the boiling edamame beans to enhance the flavor.
Edamame beans can be packaged with or without their shells.
They are often frozen as the fresh edamame beans do not last that long.
For the unshelled types, only the beans inside the pods are eaten while the shells are discarded.
This can be done by squeezing the beans out of the pods using your fingers or teeth.
The shells of the pods are too fibrous to be eaten.
A cup of edamame is packed with more nutrients than any other legume you can think about of the same amount, and that is so exciting.
They give you a good amount of fibers, proteins, vitamins, and also minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Edamame beans are a source of complete proteins, which means that they have all the essential amino acids in them.
Read: Green beans vs. Edamame beans
In conclusion
Plain Edamame does not contain gluten, however, they are sometimes eaten in dishes where the other ingredients used aren’t gluten-free.
Always check the other ingredients used to make these recipes to ensure that they are gluten-free.
