Ellie Krieger's Edamame Hummus

With the holiday party season providing countless opportunities to indulge (or over-indulge) these next few weeks, it's always nice to have some healthier, lower calorie options in the mix. This Edamame Hummus from Ellie Krieger is great because it goes together quickly, with just a few simple ingredients, and it packs a good punch of protein and healthy fats. And, for any of those haters or on-the-fence-about tofu people, it's a great way to work some in without anyone noticing. ;-)

Ellie says, "This fresh green, creamy dip, excerpted from the cookbook The Food You Crave, has all the classic hummus flavors of garlic, cumin, and lemon. But it is light on the cumin and garlic in favor of a big citrus punch."

Edamame Hummus
Adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger
(Serves 12)

2 cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup silken tofu, drained
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
Pinch of white pepper, plus more to taste
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin, plus more for garnish
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp) (I used 4 cloves) 
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste 

Set 1 Tbsp of the edamame aside for a garnish. Place the rest, along with the tofu, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, oil and lemon juice, in a food processor and process until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, if desired.
 
Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved edamame and a sprinkle of cumin. Serve with spiced pita chips, bread or veggies as desired. Hummus can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

 
Notes/Results: Creamy, fresh and lemony, this hummus reminds me a lot of my favorite edamame-feta dip--with no dairy and less fat and calories. Ellie has a recipe for spiced pita chips to accompany the dip but since I had a piece of naan bread in the freezer and veggies (baby carrots and sugar snap peas) in the crisper, I used those instead--toasting the naan in an dry grill pan and slicing it into triangles with a pizza wheel. (Adding red pepper strips and radishes would make a nice red and green presentation for the holidays too.) Fast, easy, and good, I will definitely be making it again.

It's Nibbles & Noshes week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. You can see what Ellie Krieger appetizers everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.