Edamame-Mint Sauce

Edamame, green soybeans in a pod, add a wonderful texture to this minty sauce. Edamame are high in protein and fiber and are very nutritious. This recipe from the  Candle 79 Cookbook goes especially well with the Nori- and Sesame-Crusted Seitan. It would also go well with grains.

Edamame-Mint Sauce
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup shelled edamame (if you can't find them already out of the pod, you can just buy a bag of them in the pod and squeeze them out)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the edamame, garlic, jalapeno pepper, salt, and water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. I know it looks like a lot of water, but it is the right amount for this dish. Add the mint, remove from the heat, and let cool a bit.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth. The sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The texture of this sauce is quite thick and it works well to stick to meaty dishes using seitan or tempeh.