“Sufferin’ succotash!!” If you said that with your tongue through your teeth in a funny accent, congratulations you are a nerdy 90’s child like myself and have watched your fair share of Loony Toons. Now, the real test is if you actually know what succotash is… It’s ok to admit it, I didn’t for the longest time either. I can’t remember the exact moment I learned that the boring traditional Midwestern side dish of Lima beans and corn had this strange name, but I know I’ve never really been impressed. Canned corn, Lima beans, and butter just never quite did it for me. BUT this re-vamped, fresh, summery version that I’ll call “Butternut Squash Edamame Succotash” has all the flavors and potential to become a regular on my summer menu.
There are lots of variations of succotash, but this one came about as a lot of my recipes do. I spent too much time wandering Whole Foods and wound up with a basket of random items and no plans for meals for the week. Oops… So at the end of the week, when I still hadn’t eaten the pre-cubed butternut squash and shelled edamame, I was feeling quite a bit of buyer’s remorse. And with this strange new thing called “free time” I’ve discovered since I finished the school year, I decided to play around in the kitchen- huge surprise, right? Edamame replaces the traditional Lima beans in this recipe, which is great because no one really likes Lima beans. Kidding… Kind of. Edamame is a great source of vegetable protein and has a smoother, less gritty texture than limas. You guys already know how I feel about butternut squash so I won’t ramble about how it’s the best vegetable ever and how it’s almost always available at the store and how it can take on so many different flavors and cuisines….. Ok ok I said I wouldn’t. Sorry.
So colorful! This dish would impress at any event!
If you’re looking for a side dish to take to a potluck or serve at a cook out, this will be your new go-to! With fresh flavors and bright colors it makes the perfect summer compliment to any meal!
I ate this as a side dish all week! It was wonderful with some breaded tofu strips!
- 3 cups butternut squash, cubed in ½" pieces
- 1 cup fresh green beans, in 1" pieces
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled edamame
- 1 small to medium yellow onion, diced very small
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, lightly chopped
- 1 Tbs or more fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Prep and chop all vegetables
- Place squash in steamer basket over a small saucepan of boiling water and cover until just tender, 6-7 minutes. (Or use a microwave steamer, time will vary.)
- Remove squash to a bowl and steam green beans in same pot, 3 minutes until just tender. Remove from heat.
- Heat oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat and add garlic and onion for 5 minutes, until translucent.
- Add broth and once simmering, stir in corn and edamame and cook for 3 minutes, until crisp tender.
- Add thyme, squash, and green beans and cook until heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.
