Feed Your Body Friday: Edamame & Avocado Dip with Pita Chips

Versatile and a healthier alternative, this dip is a must in many recipes. It can be used as a dip to with raw vegetables or chips, as a spread in sandwiches or even in salad dressings and marinades. The best part is that it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients - it’s simple to make, inexpensive and most of all, it’s delicious!

One of the main ingredients we are using in this recipe is edamame, which can easily be confused with fresh peas since they look very similar. Edamame beans are actually fresh soy beans.

Like chickpeas, beans and lentils, they are part of the larger legume family, they have been cultivated and consumed for millennia in Asia. Edamame beans are mostly found in the frozen vegetables section of the grocery store.

Low in calories and fat, edamame have their place in a balanced diet and can contribute to better health. They are rich in quality protein and plant-based iron, which allows vegetarians to use them to compose balanced meatless menus.

As for the other main ingredient, the avocado is a fruit native to South America. Avocados exist in several varieties, but the most consumed in the world are Hass avocados, easily recognizable with their lumpy skin and almost black color.

Avocados are particularly fatty fruits that contain good fats and can therefore be part of a balanced diet.

The avocado is much better when it’s ripe, melting and creamy, but we often found it hard as wood at the grocery store so it must be ripened at home. Try not to place your avocado lying in the fruit basket or the crisper in the refrigerator, it will become tasteless, fibrous and covered with black stains. The good technique is to pack it in newspaper and keep it for a few days in the dark.

Edamame & Avocado Dip

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen edamame with no shell
• 3 tbsp. water
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint
• 1 ripe avocado
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1tsp cumin
• Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

1. Place edamame in a bowl, add boiling water and let it soak for 3 minutes. Drain and place in a blender.
2. Add garlic, cumin and mint in the blender with the edamame, and mix until you have a smooth texture.
3. Scrape the edges of the container with a rubber spatula and add the avocado, lemon juice, yogurt. Pepper generously and salt.
4. Mix again until a smooth texture is obtained.
5. Serve with pita chips. (see recipe below)
6. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.

Pita Chips

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 pitas
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Cut the pita in 8 triangles.
3. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive, salt and pepper. Toss with your hand or a spatula.
4. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

This dip has three times less fat and is almost twice as rich in protein as a traditional guacamole. That’s what I call a no guilt snack!

Related article: Feed Your Body Friday: Cheeseburger Bites