Edamame Corn Succotash

What Is Succotash?

Tracing its origins back to 17^th century Native Americans, succotash was originally made from corn, beans and squash. Depending on the season, the corn and beans would either be fresh or dried, and the squash variety would change too.

The word succotash is a mispronunciation by European colonists of “msickquatash,” a dish made by the Narragansett Indians that involved boiling corn. Since then, regional varieties of succotash have spread from the Northeast to the Midwest to the South, but they always have a base of beans and corn.

At its essence, you can think of most corn succotash recipes like a vegetable stew, but they’re served as a side instead of a main. And you may say my version completely breaks the rules; however, the roots of succotash are in adding ingredients that are in season to create an interesting dish with what you have, so my inspiration should be pretty obvious.

Often you will find succotash starts with rendering bacon in a pan. No surprise, I skip the protein in the skillet and keep it vegan putting all the focus on the vegetables and legumes like corn, edamame and tomatoes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This is what you need:

• Corn: The freshest ears of corn will have husks that are tightly wrapped, protecting those beautiful yellow kernels. You will need 3 for the recipe. I like to shuck my corn before grilling it.
• Edamame is my choice instead of lima beans, which are traditionally used. I love the nuttiness and slight buttery flavor of edamame. I cook it on the stovetop in boiling water while the grill is heating up for the corn.
• Tomatoes: Look for small grape or cherry tomatoes that are nice and ripe. These are the best kinds to use because they will hold their shape, and their size is a good balance with the corn and edamame.
• Lemon adds freshness to any recipe. Here I use the heat of the grill and quickly grill the lemon halves on their cut sides. This adds just a hint of smokiness.
• Scallions are my go-to salad onion. They are crisp, light and so good eaten raw.
• Chives are both herby and oniony, so I like to be generous when I am adding them to the bowl. You can also include torn fresh basil leaves if you have them.
• Olive oil: For the best flavor, make sure to use extra-virgin olive oil.
• Garlic: The recipe calls for just 1 minced garlic clove that gets whisked into the lemon juice and olive oil.
• Salt & pepper: I season the succotash with kosher salt and black pepper.

How To Make Grilled Corn Succotash

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.

Cook the edamame while the grill is heating up. In a pot of boiling salted water, simmer the frozen edamame until it is just tender. Think of it like al dente pasta, it should still have some bite when it’s ready. Drain the pot into a colander and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking.

Rub the corn with olive oil.

Grill the corn until the kernels are lightly charred all over. This will take about 5-7 minutes. When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels off the cobs.

Grill the lemon. Put the lemon halves cut side down on the grates, grilling them for 1-2 minutes until they have grill marks.

Whisk together the grilled lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Stir together the corn kernels, edamame, tomatoes, scallions and chives in a large bowl. Drizzle the lemon-olive oil mixture into the corn and edamame.

Serving

Making succotash with grilled corn is wonderful for a simmer side dish. It is incredibly versatile and can go with all sorts of mains like chicken and fish or ones that are vegetarian. Pair it with grilled mains such as BBQ tofu veggie skewers, grilled halloumi and vegetables or grilled tofu shawarma.