Edamame-Ginger Dip...

We often make sweet treats to snack on, but I had a wicked craving for something savory yesterday afternoon and I never found anything to satisfy that. A few hours after lunch today, that same tug came back... but this time I was prepared as I found this Edamame-Ginger Dip in my stacks of to-try recipe piles last night.

You'll need shelled edamame for this, which isn't as hard to find as it was just a few years ago - I always pick up a few bags to keep in the freezer when we make the haul to the Trader Joe's close to downtown Minneapolis. The little soybeans, rich in both protein and fiber, don't require a lengthy cook time - a quick three to five minute dunk in boiling, well-salted water is enough to cook them through.

The cooked bright-green beans were then tossed into our trusty food processor (I use this way more often than I thought I would!), along with vegetable broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini (sesame seed paste), a full tablespoon of pungent minced ginger and a garlic clove. Once it was combined, we added salt to taste and for a little zip, a few dashes from our favorite cayenne pepper sauce. You don't need much - you could leave it out if you wish as the ginger brings some heat, but you know us and our love of spice!

This won't be an ultra smooth puree as there is only enough extra moisture from the broth to process the beans to bits - however, we found this to be a benefit, rather than a hindrance. The resulting dip had texture and enough thickness that when we dipped in with homemade crispy pita chips we were able to grab up enough of it, yet it didn't break the chips or run off either. Be sure to give the dip a quick taste before you toss in the salt and hot sauce - with the salty soy, you won't need much and you may not want to add any extra if you are salt sensitive. Also, this benefits from a rest in the refrigerator before you dig in - this gives the ginger, tahini and garlic time to mellow and permeate through. If you wanted to be especially good and skip the chips or crackers, this would be an excellent dunker for crunchy fresh vegetables!

Recipes
Edamame-Ginger Dip