Edamame meets avocado in this lightened-up dip recipe. Serve it as a party snack with pita chips or veggies, and save the leftover to spread on your sandwich the next day!
What Is Edamame?
Do you like edamame? These fresh soybeans are typically cooked in heavily salted water, and often served in their pods as a starter in Japanese restaurants.
Edamame are like bar nuts—they’re salty and go great with beer.
Turning Edamame into a Dip
Now that edamame have become popular in the States and you can usually easily find them frozen, both shelled and shell-on. They are rather tasty beans, so I thought we would make a simple bean dip with them.
So good! This edamame dip includes cilantro, lime juice, yogurt, and a whole avocado. Also just a little bit of Tabasco and dark sesame oil for some sparkle. It’s similar to guacamole, but with more protein and body from the edamame beans.
What to Serve with Edamame Dip
Serve the dip with pita chips, crostini, or a vegetable tray. It’s fairly thick, so you’ll want something sturdy to scoop it up. It’s also good on rice crackers or as a sandwich spread, as some of our readers who have made this dip have suggested.
By the way, if you want to make your own pita chips, cut pita bread into triangles, and cook in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until crispy.
How to Make it Vegan
As written, this recipe uses a half cup of yogurt to make it creamy and add some tangy flavor. But several of our readers have whipped up vegan versions with great success! Here are a few substitutes to try:
- Vegan Cashew Cream
- Coconut milk or other non-dairy yogurt
- Olive oil, similar to hummus
How to Store this Dip
This dip keeps well for a few days if covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the fridge. Try squeezing a little lemon juice over the top to prevent it from browning and stir it up before serving.
Try These Other Party Dips!
- Sweet Potato White Bean Dip
- Artichoke Lemon Dip
- Roasted Red Pepper Dip
- Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)
- Fava Bean Dip with Goat Cheese and Garlic
Edamame Avocado Dip Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces shelled edamame, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup, packed, roughly chopped fresh cilantro, including stems
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- 5 shakes of Tabasco (less or more to taste)
- 3 drops of dark sesame oil (more to taste)
Method
1 Cook the edamame: Bring 2 quarts of well salted water (2 tablespoons salt) to a boil. Add the shelled edamame. Return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until cooked through and tender. Drain with cold water.
2 Blend the edamame with the remaining ingredients: Place drained cooked edamame in a food processor. Pulse several times. Add the chopped cilantro. Pulse again.
Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until well puréed. Add more water if you want a smoother consistency. Adjust seasonings (salt, Tabasco, lime, sesame oil).
Serve with pita, chips, crostini, or a vegetable platter.
Links:
Edamame Dip with Asian Flavors – from Family Style Food
Edamame Guacamole – from Two Peas and Their Pod