Greek Yellow Split Pea Dip (Fava)
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This Greek Yellow Split Pea Dip called Fava is creamy, nutritious, and full of protein. A great change of pace from everyday chickpea hummus.
Ingredients
For the Bean Purée:
  • 2½ cups (500g) yellow split peas
  • 7 cups water
  • 1 medium/large onion roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • a few sprigs of thyme or oregano
  • 1¾ teaspoons sea salt
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Garnish options:
  • capers
  • finely chopped onion (or green onion)
  • chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • lemon wedges/lemon juice
  • fresh or dried herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano)
  • spices (cumin, coriander, black pepper)
  • extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. First, pick through your split peas and wash them well in running water 2 or 3 times. Drain, then add them to a large pot with the 7 cups of water. Put it on high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. At this point, you may notice some foam accumulating on the surface of the water. Just use a large spoon to skim this foam off and discard it.
  2. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaves, sprigs of thyme/oregano, and salt. Allow the peas to simmer on medium-low for around 30-35 minutes while stirring every so often. You will notice that the peas will swell and start to break down. Do a taste test to check for doneness. When the peas are cooked and tender, remove the bay leaves and herb sprigs.
  3. Now transfer the peas and liquid to a food processor or blender and add the 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you are having trouble blending, add a few splashes of water to get things moving. Return the blended spread to the pot and remove it from the heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. You can leave it in the pot until you are ready to serve, just cover the pot with a tight lid to ensure that the fava spread doesn't dry out. If you notice that it does dry out, stir in a splash or two of water.
  4. To serve, spoon out some of the fava into a bowl or dish and garnish it with more olive oil, capers, herbs, onions, spices, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with bread.
Notes
-I admit that I don't love raw onion, so when I make fava, I do of course add the onion to the simmering liquid but I don't chop raw onion for the garnish. Instead, I use some chopped green onion or cooked, caramelized onions. If you don't mind a little raw onion, however, chop some up finely, rinse the pieces well under cold running water, and then garnish with them. This will remove a lot of the bite and smell of the onion, but preserve that distinct flavor.
Recipe by Lands & Flavors at https://www.landsandflavors.com/greek-yellow-split-pea-dip-fava/