Easy & Healthy Asian Shrimp Edamame Stir-Fry: Your Go-To Weeknight Meal

Looking for a vibrant, flavorful, and incredibly healthy dinner that comes together in a flash? This Asian Shrimp Edamame Stir-Fry is your perfect answer! Bursting with colorful vegetables, succulent shrimp, and protein-rich edamame, all tossed in a savory Asian-inspired sauce, it’s a dish that promises to delight your taste buds and nourish your body. Forget the takeout menus – this easy, flavor-packed meal is not only quick to prepare but also completely customizable. Plus, it can easily be made vegetarian by simply omitting the shrimp or substituting with tofu!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Asian Stir-Fry

There’s something truly satisfying about a good stir-fry. It’s a culinary canvas where fresh ingredients meet bold flavors, all cooked quickly in one pan. This particular Asian Shrimp Edamame Stir-Fry stands out for its incredible balance of taste, texture, and nutrition. Each bite offers a delightful crunch from the vegetables, a tender bite of shrimp, and the subtle sweetness of edamame, all coated in a sauce that hits all the right notes – savory, a touch of spicy, and a hint of tang.

One of the best aspects of this recipe is its adaptability. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner in the kitchen, stir-frying is an accessible and rewarding cooking method. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you need a meal on the table fast, but it’s also special enough for a casual dinner with friends. The prep work can even be done ahead of time, making dinner assembly a breeze after a long day.

The Star Ingredient: Edamame and Its Benefits

Today, we’re spotlighting one of my favorite additions to stir-fries: edamame. These delightful green soybeans are not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious. I’m thrilled to join my friends at the Soyfoods Association of North America in celebrating April as National Soyfoods Month. It’s the perfect time to highlight why incorporating soy into your diet, especially in the form of edamame, is such a great choice.

Edamame brings a fantastic texture and a mild, slightly nutty flavor to this stir-fry. My kids adore it, and I feel great serving it to my family because it’s packed with high-quality protein and produced in an environmentally friendly way. When shopping for this recipe, look for shelled edamame in the frozen section. It saves you the extra step of shelling and can be easily tossed directly into your wok or skillet with the other vegetables.

Beyond its culinary appeal, soy boasts an impressive nutritional profile. It naturally contains no cholesterol and provides all nine essential amino acids necessary for human growth and health. Just half a cup of cooked soybeans delivers a significant portion of your daily nutritional needs:

• 29% of your daily value of protein
• 21% of your daily value of fiber
• 25% of your daily value of iron
• 14% of your daily value of calcium

These small but mighty soybeans truly pack a powerful punch! Regular consumption of soy has been linked to several health benefits, including protection against heart disease and support for bone health. Furthermore, some studies suggest that soy can help reduce oxidative stress associated with exercise, making it beneficial for athletic performance and recovery. Incorporating edamame into your meals is an easy and delicious way to boost your intake of vital nutrients.

Eating the Rainbow: A Colorful Approach to Nutrition

Aside from ensuring a good source of protein, one of my primary goals when preparing meals for my family is to create a rainbow of colors on their plates. This isn’t just for aesthetic appeal; the more colors you see in your meal, the wider the array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your family will be consuming. Each vibrant hue signals a different set of beneficial nutrients.

For this stir-fry, I highly recommend using a variety of bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, and green) to maximize both flavor and nutrition. Slice them thinly so they cook quickly and maintain a slight crispness. Other fantastic additions to a stir-fry include:

• Broccoli florets: A cruciferous powerhouse, packed with Vitamin C and K.
• Bok choy: Adds a tender-crisp texture and a mild, slightly peppery flavor.
• Zucchini: A light, refreshing vegetable that cooks quickly.
• Carrots: Sliced into thin rounds or julienned for sweetness and Vitamin A.
• Mushrooms: Shiitake or cremini mushrooms add an earthy umami depth.
• Water chestnuts or bamboo shoots: For an extra layer of crunch.

Feel free to get creative with your vegetable choices and customize this stir-fry to your family’s preferences. The beauty of a stir-fry recipe is its versatility. You can use whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand, ensuring your meal is always fresh and exciting. This approach to “eating the rainbow” not only makes your plate prettier but significantly boosts the nutritional value of your meal.

Crafting the Perfect Stir-Fry Sauce

The sauce is the soul of any good stir-fry, and this recipe’s Asian-inspired sauce is designed to be both simple and incredibly flavorful. It perfectly balances the tang of fresh lime juice with the umami depth of low-sodium soy sauce. A touch of red chili garlic sauce adds a welcome kick, which you can adjust to your preferred spice level – omit it entirely for a milder version, or add more for extra heat. Vegetable broth helps to thin the sauce and ensures it coats every ingredient beautifully, thickening slightly as it cooks to create a glossy finish.

Prepping the sauce ahead of time is a fantastic meal prep hack. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. This way, when it’s time to cook, you’re just a few quick steps away from a delicious homemade meal.

Protein Options for Every Diet

While this recipe features jumbo shrimp, a fantastic lean protein that cooks incredibly fast, it’s also wonderfully versatile for different dietary preferences. Shrimp offers a delicate flavor and a tender texture, soaking up the stir-fry sauce beautifully. Make sure your shrimp are shelled and deveined for ease of cooking and eating.

For those who are vegetarian or looking to incorporate more plant-based meals, simply omit the shrimp from the recipe. The edamame already provides a robust protein source, making the dish fulfilling on its own. Alternatively, you can easily add cubed firm tofu, pressed and pan-fried until golden, or even tempeh for an extra protein boost and different texture.

If shrimp isn’t your preference, chicken is another excellent substitute. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh into bite-sized pieces and stir-fry until cooked through before adding the vegetables. Beef, thinly sliced against the grain, would also be delicious. The flexibility of this recipe ensures that everyone can enjoy a delicious and satisfying meal tailored to their liking.

Tips for a Perfect Stir-Fry Every Time

• High Heat is Key: Stir-frying relies on high heat and quick cooking. Ensure your skillet or wok is properly heated before adding ingredients to achieve that signature crisp-tender texture.
• Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook in batches if necessary, especially if you’re making a larger quantity. Overcrowding lowers the pan’s temperature and steams the vegetables instead of stir-frying them.
• Prep Everything First (Mise en Place): Chop all your vegetables, prepare your shrimp, and whisk your sauce before you even turn on the heat. Stir-frying moves quickly, and you won’t have time to chop as you go.
• Layer Your Vegetables: Add tougher vegetables (like bell peppers and green beans) first, giving them a head start before adding quicker-cooking ones (like edamame and sugar snap peas).
• Adjust Spice Levels: The red chili garlic sauce offers a nice kick. If you prefer less heat, reduce the amount or omit it. For more spice, feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

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5 from 1 vote

Asian Shrimp Edamame Stir-Fry

By
Julia Jolliff

Prep:

5 minutes
mins

Cook:

15 minutes
mins

Total:

20 minutes
mins

Servings:

4
servings

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Saved
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Asian Shrimp Edamame Stir-Fry is a colorful, healthy stir-fry. Shrimp, vegetables and edamame are stir-fried with Asian flavors and garnished with fresh cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds.

Ingredients 

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

• ▢
  
  3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoons red chili garlic sauce, {omit for less spice}

• ▢
  
  1/2 cup vegetable broth

• ▢
  
  3 Tablespoons olive oil , {separated}

• ▢
  
  1 Tablespoons ginger, freshly grated

• ▢
  
  2 garlic , minced

• ▢
  
  1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined

• ▢
  
  1 bell pepper, seeds removed, sliced {feel free to use a combination of colors like red and orange}

• ▢
  
  1/2 lb. green beans, ends trimmed

• ▢
  
  12 oz. frozen, shelled edamame

• ▢
  
  1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas

• ▢
  
  Salt and pepper to taste

• ▢
  
  cilantro, Freshly chopped

• ▢
  
  green onion, Chopped

• ▢
  
  Sesame seeds

Instructions 

• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the fresh lime juice, low sodium soy sauce, red chili garlic sauce and vegetable broth. Set aside.
• In a large skillet heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Set the shrimp aside in a bowl leaving the leftover oil in the skillet.
• In the same skillet add an additional 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over to the skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and green beans and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the edamame and sugar snap peas. Continue to sauté until the vegetables are cooked, but still crisp, about 3 minutes.
• Add the sauce and continue to cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens up. Add the shrimp back in and stir to combine everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from the heat and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds.
• Serve the stir-fry over rice, noodles or on its own.

Notes

• You can easily omit the shrimp and use chicken or leave it vegetarian with no meat.
• You can mix up the vegetables you use and add or omit whatever you like based on your tastes. Bok choy would be a nice addition, zucchini or even broccoli.

Nutrition

Calories:
313
kcal

,

Carbohydrates:
32
g

,

Protein:
22
g

,

Fat:
13
g

,

Saturated Fat:
2
g

,

Polyunsaturated Fat:
2
g

,

Monounsaturated Fat:
8
g

,

Trans Fat:
0.01
g

,

Cholesterol:
143
mg

,

Sodium:
1325
mg

,

Potassium:
693
mg

,

Fiber:
6
g

,

Sugar:
5
g

,

Vitamin A:
1994
IU

,

Vitamin C:
74
mg

,

Calcium:
111
mg

,

Iron:
3
mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This post is sponsored by Soyfoods Association of North America in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand and I have been compensated for my participation. As always, opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make A Cedar Spoon possible.