This “soycutash” is really “succotash” with a soy swap. As a former southerner, I have fond memories of enjoying succotash drowned in milk and butter. “Soycutash” is Trader Joe’s spin on the traditional corn and lima bean dish made with edamame in lieu of lima beans. It’s one of the many frozen foods I get from TJ’s. Using frozen ingredients is my ideal short-cut to getting a healthy dinner on the table. In this case, I spruced it up with the addition of a dressing, sourdough bread, and avocado – a.k.a bread salad or Panzanella. You could also turn this side dish into a main meal by adding protein such as tofu or chicken.
Frozen Fruits and Veggies
When it comes to produce, it might be better to go with frozen over fresh! Research shows that frozen fruits and vegetables can have just as many vitamins, and sometimes more, as compared to fresh. Freezing helps to preserve nutrients, and is the best way to preserve beneficial plant compounds that help protect our health. Frozen produce is picked at its peak ripeness and therefore has the greatest abundance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. If cooked properly, you could get anywhere between 10% and 50% more nutrients compared to fresh.
Heavy Handed Herbs
When I wrote my Mediterranean Table Cookbook, one habit of the diet that really stood out was their abundant usage of herbs. Doesn’t it seem like most recipes call for one or two tablespoons of fresh herbs? What do you do with the rest? I included a 1/2 cup each of chopped parsley and cilantro. While this may seem like a lot, you’ll love the fresh flavors it adds without including lots of salt.
Oh, and one more thing, if you’ve heard corn is an unhealthy food, please read this post I contributed to: “5 Myths About Corn You Should Stop Believing.”
Soycutash Panzanella Salad
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 T. olive oil (divided)
- 1 – 16 oz. package frozen Soycutash (Trader Joe’s)
- 1/4 c. vegetable broth or water
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- 1 t. honey
- 1 small avocado, large dice
- 2–3 oz. sourdough bread, cut into cubes
- 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 t. salt (divided)
- 1/4. t. ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread, olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt. Toss well to distribute the ingredients.
- Spread the bread cubes out on a sheet pan, giving them plenty of space in between. Bake the bread cubes for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown and crisp.
- While bread cubes bake, saúte the soycutash in 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetable broth or water to soften and cook (about 5 minutes). Once cooked through, drain the soycutash and place in a large bowl.
- Cool in fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- Once soycutash has cooled, toss in the rest of your ingredients and enjoy!