Crostini has always been one of my favorite go to appetizers. They’re easy & quick to make and are a heartier cocktail hour food. If you’re coming over to my house odds are there will be some cocktails or wine involved. I always want to have some appetizers on hand to soak up the alcohol. Don’t judge! I confess that normally I make my heirloom tomato bruschetta but I felt like switching things up. This Edamame & Arugula Spread was the perfect option!
Arugula is in season right now and I love it’s peppery, bold taste. It’s part of the cabbage family and contains a HUGE amount of lutein, an antioxidant that helps maintain healthy eyes, skin and heart. Arugula doesn’t keep very well so try to buy it and use it up within 2 days, 3 max
I use arugula on its own in salads or in addition to another greens. I love it in soups, on homemade pizza or in my pasta. My absolute favorite is subbing it for basil to make a spicier pesto! When cooked, arugula wilts like spinach so keep that mind when experimenting in your kitchen.
Try this spread over baked parmesan crisps instead of baguette for a different approach.
- 1 cup shelled fresh or frozen edamame
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
- 1 cup packed baby arugula, divided in 2 piles
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup mint to garnish
- olive oil for drizzling
- sliced baguette
- Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
- If edamame is still in the pod make sure you take the beans out of the pods before using. Very important!!
- Cook edamame beans in salted boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
- Pulse edamame beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl.
- Add ¼ cup olive oil, ½ cup arugula, parmigiano reggiano, lemon zest & juice, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to edamame in processor and purée until smooth.
- Add smooth mixture into the bowl with chunky edamame..
- Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup arugula and gently fold into edamame mixture.
- Cut bread 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Spoon edamame mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.
I buy the pre-shelled edamame from Trader Joes. You can find both fresh or frozen edamame beans and they are inexpensive.
Don't skip out on the mint as garnish!! This is not a garnish you want to miss out on. It really brings the recipe all together for me.
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