Archive Recipe of the Week: Green Pea Hummus

This is the time of year when we desperately look for Spring wherever we can find it, but aren’t quite optimistic enough to believe in it for real. The snow is gone from our yard, but we know better. Last year it snowed heavily on May 2^nd. I might be putting away my warm sweaters, but you can bet my hoodies aren’t out of reach. Local hot-houses are producing some edible green things, but even the weeds aren’t poking through the brown, matted blanket of debris in the yard and garden.

And then we cheat. We have to. There won’t be green peas in pods for, well, for a long time yet. It’s too depressing to think of just how long. So, while no one is looking, we acquire a bag of frozen peas. They are Spring. They ARE!!

Cheating on the end of winter in such a way is rich and delicious if you make this Green Pea Hummus. It’s like a traditional chickpea hummus with frozen peas (or fresh if you happen to have a crazy bumper crop) instead of the chickpeas. You could season it as you like, but I like the lemon juice, a bit of spice in the form of Aleppo pepper, and garlic. The first time I posted this recipe, I happened to have garlic scapes available, which I used in place of the garlic. Sadly, the season is rather premature for those as well, so I used garlic cloves in my most recent batch.

While green peas may seem lighter and less stodgy than chickpeas, a bit of caution may be in order when indulging in this dip/spread. There’s still plenty of tahini in this recipe, which makes Green Pea Hummus deceptively filling. I know. I ate way too much of it on the night I made it. But it was sooooo good. And can you blame me for overindulging in a bit of fresh, green Spring at the end (or what we hope is the end) of such a long winter?

Green Pea Hummus

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine 

10 ounce package frozen green peas

½ cup chopped parsley (I used flat-leaf)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
3 cloves garlic or (¼ cup garlic scapes, chopped, if you have them)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the frozen peas and cook about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water. Drain well. (You could also drain from the boiling water and rinse in cold water until cool.)

2. Place the drained peas and the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. With the machine running, pour the olive oil, through the opening in the top of the food processor lid. Continue to process until very smooth.

3. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve. Serve with sturdy chips, such as pita chips or bagel chips.

Other recipes like this one: Hummus, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Dip

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Revel Bars