Edamame Dip

Edamole? Guacamame? I couldn't decide what to call this stuff!
 
Living in the Pacific Northwest has introduced  me to a lot of new foods and turned me away from others; at least seasonally. Take avocados for example, I love them but I can't find them here except in the summer months. Other times of the year we get them from far-off places where they're shipped unripe and never ripen properly. They should be soft and flavorful. I've used all the time-honored tricks (in a bag, at room temp, wrapped in newspaper with an apple slice added) but it just isn't the same. My best efforts produce soft, flavorless avocados and the guacamole is little more than disappointing green stuff on a chip.

So, with Memorial Day weekend coming up, I decided to try replacing the avocados with edamame. They're available frozen year-round and some folks are having luck growing them here, in Oregon. If you're interested in planting these in your garden I suggest you read this first. Mother Earth News will walk you right through it!
For this recipe, you'll need a food processor. I started out with my favorite guacamole recipe and learned that a few tweaks made for a more flavorful and creamy dip. I hope you enjoy this one.


Time: 1 hour
Yield: A lot!
Level: Easy  
 
Ingredients:
 
1- 12 oz bag of frozen, shelled, edamame
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp mayonnaise (optional, but it enhances the texture)
1 sweet onion, chopped (divide in half)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley)
Juice of 1 medium lemon (divide in half)
Juice of 1 small lime
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tomato chopped (a red bell pepper is good, too)


Directions:
 
Cook the edamame according to the package directions. Drain and allow to cool.

In the bowl of your food processor, place the cooked beans, oil, sour cream, parsley (or cilantro),  half of the onion and garlic. Process until smooth. Add half the lemon juice, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and 1 tsp salt. Blend well and taste the dip. I found that it needed more salt and lemon juice. 

You may want to push a few more of the spices to make it more to your liking.
 
In order to get the chunkiness of guacamole, transfer it to a mixing bowl and stir in chopped tomato and the remaining chopped onion.  Once the flavors are to your liking, transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish and enjoy with organic, blue corn chips or vegetables. It's good on top of an omelet, or as a dip for celery, too.