It is really no surprise that my kids do not like Succotash. What kid would like something called that? I looked up the definition, and it is “a food dish consisting primarily of corn and lima beans or other shelled beans.” They even go so far as to say that you can add other ingredients like tomatoes or red peppers, how lovely. Kids love corn – but the name Succotash makes it seem like they are eating something foreign.
I love Succotash, and decided that I would make it for our annual block party. I was so excited to finally use the edamame in the freezer downstairs. The only problem was, I guess that edamame was older than I thought – the beans had basically died – in the freezer. They had such bad freezer burn, they were finished. I panicked. I had no time to run to the market to get another bag – so I went to the refrigerator to see what I could find. A friend of mine had been visiting the week before and brought me some beautiful beans from her garden – how lucky was I that these beans were actually so big, that there were nice looking peas inside. I tried to remember exactly what they were – but at that point, it didn’t matter. I was shelling the beans, and I came up with a nice bowl of beautiful peas. The shells seemed too big to eat – so they must have been peas. Ok, so I didn’t have 16 oz., but I had enough to serve the dish. Phew!
The Succotash was a huge hit – I will definitely have to make this recipe from Cooking Light again, next time with a nice bag of edamame – but the peas were an excellent substitution in a pinch – and based on the definition, any shelled bean will do.
Ingredients
- 1 slice center-cut bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups chopped sweet onion
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons torn basil
Preparation
Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn kernels; sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Add edamame, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon and basil.
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First Look, Then Cook 
I’m not a fan of lima beans, but we all like edamame. I often mix it with corn and tomatoes, w/ a bit of lemon juice, olive oil, and basil. I love the bacon add-in and will definitely remember that for next time.
I made this recipe from CL with edamame and it is really good. I used balsamic vinegar instead and was heavier handed with it than the recipe called for. Also put in more bacon than what the recipe called for, but you can never have too much bacon.