Egyptian Edamame Stew

I discovered this recipe only relatively recently -- you might have seen me link it on Facebook -- but I keep coming back to it.  For one thing, it's quick and easy to make, and it freezes well; also, it's delicious!

• 1 1/2 10-ounce packages frozen shelled edamame, (about 3 cups), thawed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or mint
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro (or mint) and lemon juice.

One thing I learned the first time I made it is that it's better to let it sit for a little while and let the flavors mellow a bit before filling your bowl; the first time, I scooped some up right away after mixing in the lemon juice & cilantro, and it was too tart for me.  The leftovers are even better the second day.

Feel free to throw in other ingredients you may want to try with it.  Today, I used up my last 3 green onions instead of 1 large regular onion, and I threw in 2 carrots and 2 sticks of celery as well.  (I think I once added mushrooms to it too.)  I didn't thaw the edamame first, and I followed the cooking directions for them on the package, rather than the recipe, since there was a slight difference.  The recipe doesn't specify (I was probably the only noob who wondered), but when you put the canned tomatoes in, throw in all their juice with them, and that's all the cooking liquid you need; it will be a bit thick.  The first time I made it I automatically left out the cayenne pepper -- I'm not fond of overly spicy food.  But when I saw how much stew it made and thought about the tiny amount of cayenne that is suggested, I decided to try it the following time, and it was just fine.  The 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne doesn't really make it hot, just adds some extra flavor.  I tend to be generous with the cumin, coriander, and cilantro, because I really like them.  I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it with mint yet.