These two legumes look awfully similar – let’s figure out the difference between lima beans and edamame.
Lima beans:
- Are the most common shell bean in the US.
- Are a creamy, sometimes faded green color.
- Cannot be eaten raw.
- Are also called “butter beans.”
- Hail from Peru.
Edamame:
- Are also shell beans – they’re immature green soybeans.
- Are a bright, deep green in color.
- Can be sold fresh and still in the pods, or hulled.
- Are harder than lima beans.
- Hail from China.
Nutrition-wise:
- Lima beans have fewer calories, are fat free, and have more vitamin A, C, and iron.
- Edamame have twice the protein and nearly half the carbs.
- Edamame have all nine essential amino acids.
And finally, according to The Food Substitutions Bible, yes, lima beans and edamame can be swapped out for one another in recipes.