Love refried beans? And edamame? You'll love refried edamame

Known as edamame, the dish is a staple of Japanese restaurant menus.

Besides they were delicious, meaty and flavorful.

[...] several years after my restaurant revelation, I noticed a recipe in Gourmet magazine that featured frozen shelled edamame, the beans freed from their pods, combined with butter and buttermilk.

Here, I've taken them in a yet another direction, reworking my recipe for a lighter version of Mexican-styled refried beans by replacing the pinto beans with edamame.

The finished product is wonderfully creamy — smoother than the creamiest mashed potatoes — because the beans are pureed instead of mashed.

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or stock

In a medium saucepan over medium-high, bring 2 quarts of well salted water to a simmer.

Drain the edamame, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer them along with the reserved liquid to a blender or food processor.

Start to blend the edamame and when they are finely chopped add the chicken broth and continue blending, scraping down the sides as needed, until the beans are smooth.

Nutrition information per serving: 170 calories; 100 calories from fat (59 percent of total calories); 11 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 180 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 9 g protein.