This edamame hummus is our new favorite dip for crackers, pita chips, and sliced veggies. It’s an alternative to traditional chickpea-based hummus, though it’s just as easy to make. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, healthy, and just plain delicious.
If you’re looking for a unique appetizer to bring to a party, whip up this dip in a food processor, and then make a nice platter of crackers, sliced cucumbers, radishes, carrots, olives, and pita for a vibrant, light start to a meal. Or just keep it in the fridge for snacking throughout the week!
Discovering Edamame “Hummus”
I put “hummus” in air quotes there because the word hummus in Arabic translates to chickpea. So, one can’t really divorce hummus from chickpeas. (See our favorite, more traditional hummus recipe here!)
That said, this recipe does utilize many of the same ingredients and flavors you’d find in traditional hummus, including tahini, lemon, garlic, and cumin. So calling it a hummus gives you a good idea of this dip’s flavor and texture, despite not being a true hummus!
We’ve been cooking with edamame, or young soybeans, for decades in Chinese cuisine. We’d never thought to use them in an application like this. We always have a bag in the freezer, so it’s been great to add this recipe to our arsenal.
We first tried edamame hummus when a friend brought it to a recent dinner party at my parents’ house. On first taste, we all loved it! It’s a bit lighter than traditional hummus, and we found ourselves unabashedly taking down an entire container with a bag of crackers.
We immediately asked said friend for the recipe she’d used, and it was Food Network Kitchen’s recipe. We tinkered with the recipe a bit, pumping up the flavor (the lemony flavor in particular!) and making it a bit smoother.
I hope you enjoy it too!
Where Do I Get Edamame?
Edamame, or máodòu (毛豆) in Chinese, are young soybeans, which are tender and green. We know them in America by their Japanese name, probably because they were popularized here in Japanese restaurants. You may have had them steamed, served in the pods with salt, as an appetizer!
For this recipe, it’s best (i.e. easiest) to use shelled edamame. You can buy it in some supermarkets these days near the other frozen vegetables. (I found a bag at my local ShopRite.) Or you can most definitely find them in Asian markets in the frozen section.
If you can’t find shelled edamame, you can buy them still in the pods, de-frost in a bowl of water, then shell them yourself. It’s an extra step, but not a bad one to do with little kids, in front of the TV, or with a podcast or audiobook!
Edamame Hummus Recipe Instructions
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the edamame, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool a bit.
To the bowl of a food processor, add the warm edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander. Run the food processor, and pulse until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Then turn on the food processor again, and slowly pour in the olive oil. At this point, if you’d like smoother, looser hummus, you can add a little oil or water.
Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with oil (and chopped parsley if desired), and serve with crackers, pita chips, and/or crudité!
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Recipe
Edamame Hummus
Ingredients
- 8 ounces frozen shelled edamame (green soy beans, about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1-2 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the edamame, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool a bit.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the warm edamame, tahini, water, lemon zest and juice, parsley, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander. Run the food processor, and pulse until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Then turn on the food processor again, and slowly pour in the olive oil. At this point, if you’d like smoother, looser hummus, you can add a little oil or water.
- Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with oil (and chopped parsley if desired), and serve with crackers, pita chips, and/or crudité!
