Edamame Hummus

Photo by Heather Miller

This is a nice spring-y twist on traditional hummus. In addition to using edamame instead of chickpeas, this recipe uses Greek-style yogurt instead of tahini paste - perfect if sesame seed allergies are a concern. If you are looking to avoid dairy, I bet a few tablespoons of full fat coconut milk would be a nice substitute for the yogurt. I have yet to try it, but would love to hear about it if you do!

Served with whole wheat pitas, pita chips and/or veggie sticks, this Edamame Hummus makes a scrumptious snack. You can also make a meal of it.
Spoon some into a whole wheat pita pocket or tortilla and add the veggies of your choice, like spinach, sunflower sprouts, sliced avocado and/or cucumber, julienned carrots and/or beets. Going for gluten-free? Trade in the pita or tortilla for some cooked brown rice and you have yourself a hummus bowl. Either way, it's delicious and easy to pack. Perfect for school/work lunches and picnics! Enjoy.

Edamame Hummus

Ingredients
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
Few sprigs fresh parsley
1/4 cup plus 2 T Greek-style yogurt
2 T olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Directions
Cook 2 cups frozen shelled edamame according to package directions. Drain and cool. Transfer cooled edamame to a food processor or blender.

Meanwhile, finely grate 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (make sure to get only the yellow part of the peel). Cut lemon in half crosswise and juice it. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, along with the zest and minced garlic, to the edamame. Add garlic and zest to edamame.  Remove parsley leaves from stems. Discard stems. Tear leaves into small pieces and add to edamame. Add yogurt, olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend mixture until smooth. Drizzle in a little more olive oil if you need it to get a smooth consistency. Season to taste with additional salt. You may indeed need another 1/2 teaspoon. Unlike canned legumes, frozen varieties are very low in sodium, so they need more added salt.

Makes about 2 cups

What kids can do (with appropriate tools and adult supervision)
*Measure out ingredients
*Juice lemon (kids can zest too, just make sure to use a zester or a grater that is fine and sharp, keep lemon whole and supervise closely)
*Mince garlic (wavy choppers and similar tools make mincing easier for kids without risking fingertips)
*Separate parsley leaves from stems & tear leaves
*Press the buttons on the food processor or blender
*Taste for seasoning