Easy Edamame Dip [Vegan]

So we’re a little late to the party.

Edamame has been popular for years. Seriously — if you wiki edamame, you’ll find that the earliest mentions of it date back to 1275. It wasn’t popular here in North America that far back, and at our house, it only started making frequent appearances this past spring and summer. And even then, it was by accident! I’m not certain how we haven’t been enjoying edamame prior to that but am thrilled that we’ve finally discovered it. The girls (and I) don’t really appreciate the stand-alone flavour and texture but once we started serving edamame combined with something, our opinions began to change.

Enter this easy-to-make, delicious and healthy dip. It is as fantastic with crisp fresh veggies as it is with pitas or crackers. It can stand in as a simple sandwich filling too. It takes less than 10 minutes to make and can be made ahead and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy it.

Whether you’ve tried edamame before or not, hop on board the edamame bandwagon. You won’t be disappointed.

Easy Edamame Dip [Vegan]

adapted from Alton Brown’s Edamame Dip
(approx. 2 cups)

2 cups organic frozen shelled edamame
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
8-10 sprigs fresh parsley, washed, dried and coarsely torn
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
5-10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt (to taste)

Microwave the edamame, loosely covered, on high for 2-3 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.

Place the steamed edamame, shallot, garlic, parsley, soy sauce into the food processor. Pulse a few times to chop up the ingredients. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add a little pepper and salt to taste. Pulse one more time.

Serve at room temperature with fresh vegetables or pitas and crackers.

Tips and Suggestions:

Some people prefer a more coarse version of this dip. Run it for a shorter period of time in the food processor for a coarse version, or a bit longer for a smoother one.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to add some brightness for a summery version.
There are concerns around GM soybeans and their prevalence in the US (they have been banned in many countries worldwide). If you are avoiding GM soy, select organic edamame for this recipe.