Even though I consider myself an adventurous and open-minded eater, I constantly surprised at certain thoughts I’ve had about foods. Green peas, for example, have always registered in my mind as a side dish or entree ingredient, nothing else. It’s time to change that and expand my pea food horizons a bit. Peas can live far beyond the side dish or the entree.
Peas can work well as a dip and I’m a big fan of dips. If you’ve read the blog for any extended amount of time, you’ll know that I love being able to make plant-based dips. It makes snacking healthier without feeling that difficult or too restrictive. This Green Pea Hummus is a perfect dip
Though I eat healthier now, I still have a soft spot for crackers. I’ve upgraded my cracker to Wasa crackers, which have minimal ingredients and more fiber than the crackers than I’ve had in the past. After eating 2-3 of these crackers, I’m good. If you want to take it further, you can even DOUBLE the amount of vegetables you’re getting by swapping out the crackers with cucumbers, carrots, endive leaves, bell peppers, broccoli… the possibilities are endless!
Also, if you want even more fiber and protein in this dip (green peas are already a great source of fiber and protein), you can add in 1 cup of garbanzo beans to the recipe. That would also mean you would be getting a serving of legumes and vegetables in one snack. You can’t say that about too many of the usual snacks out there.
Want more green pea dishes from this series? You can find them here:
Nutrition DL: Green Peas
Coconut Pea Soup
Baked Green Pea Falafel
This recipe is part of a series called Nutrition DL. Nutrition DL gives you the download on seasonal fruits, vegetables, or pantry staples. Once you learn about the basics of the featured ingredient, I share four recipes over four weeks to inspire and feed you with this great seasonal food. Check out other foods I’ve covered here.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 small spoon of coconut oil
- juice from half a lemon
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt, to taste
Instructions
In a sauté pan, bring coconut oil to medium heat, until melted. Add peas and cook for 5-10 minutes, until just slightly wrinkled. Once done, remove from heat.
In a food processor, combine peas, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Run the food processor and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add more tablespoons of olive oil as needed to get a smoother consistency. If you want a chunkier consistency, one to two should be okay. Once your preferred consistency is reached, add salt to taste and enjoy. This is good warm or cold.