Dried Beans With Dried Tomatoes and Edamame Curd

© Markus Biedermann

Edamame is Japanese and means something like “beans on a branch”. Actually, edamame are nothing more than soybeans that are harvested unripe. That’s why they have such a bright green colour. The soybean originated in China, Japan and Korea. They also thrive in our world’s fields or in your garden. One pod usually contains three green, oval beans that taste intensely nutty and slightly sweet. You can get edamame frozen or in tins, but nowadays it is also increasingly available fresh. In tins or as frozen goods, the beans are already pre-cooked. Fresh edamame, on the other hand, must always be cooked. They are inedible raw.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 100 g dried beans 
• 50 g rapeseed oil (or the olive oil from the pickled tomatoes)
• 60 g onions (equivalent to a medium onion)
• 10 g garlic (equivalent to 3 cloves)
• 50 g dried tomatoes in oil
• 20 g vegetable stock (equivalent to two cubes)
• Salt, pepper, savory
• 1 l bean soaking water
• 4 – 8 floury potatoes
• 250 g low-fat quark
• 100 g cream quark
• 10 g chives
• 50 g edamame beans, frozen or fresh
• Salt, pepper
• 10 g caraway seeds
• 1 pinch Sugar

Instructions

1. Soak the dried beans overnight (just covered with water).
2. Blanch the edamame beans.
3. Wash potatoes well and wrap in aluminium foil. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 60 minutes at 220 °C. Finely chop the onions and garlic. Cut dried tomatoes into strips and chives finely. Dried beans: Drain and collect the water. Then use the soaking water when cooking – it will be better!
4. Heat oil in suitable pan, sauté onions and garlic until lightly golden – take your time. This makes it delicious! Add the soaked beans, pour in the soaking water and add the stock. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes.
5. Mix the curd cheese and chives. Add the blanched edamame and season.
6. Add a little savoury and the tomatoes cut into strips to the cooked beans.
7. Remove the potatoes from the foil, cut them slightly and press them apart a little. Pour in a spoonful of Edamame chive curd – serve the rest in a bowl. Arrange the beans.