Hummus gets a Japanese-inspired twist with edamame and tahini and becomes a perfect snack for the afternoon or while you’re waiting for your main dishes to cook. Use as a dip for veggies or spread on crackers for a bright update to traditional hummus. Ginger and miso add brightness and depth to this delightfully smooth dip.

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Edamame Hummus (Japanese Flavors)

Total Time: 15 minutes

How do you make edamame hummus? Do you just take a traditional hummus recipe and swap out edamame for chickpeas? Do you do half chickpeas and half edamame just to make it green? That sounds like something an Irish pub would do for St. Patrick’s day. Or do you do something completely different?

This edamame hummus recipe does something completely different. And for the purposes of this little snack, I am defining hummus as a legume pureed with tahini. Tahini is just roasted and crushed sesame seeds, basically sesame butter. If edamame are Japanese, and if sesame seeds are used in Japanese dishes, then surely tahini (roasted and crushed sesame seeds) can be worked into the Japanese flavor profile. And that is what you are about to do!

This edamame hummus uses garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, mirin, miso, and sesame oil. If you have made hummus before, you are probably thinking that I forgot the extra virgin olive oil. But we aren’t going to use any. Instead, we will use a bit of neutral oil – I prefer grapeseed oil – just to help us get a smoother consistency. This is not going to be as smooth as traditional hummus since we are not using oil as one of our star ingredients. The flavors of extra virgin olive oil would just clash with these Japanese flavors. (How often do you find extra virgin olive oil used in Japanese cuisine? ) It won’t be chunky, it just won’t be super creamy. You’re sure to like it!

The beauty of this hummus made with edamame is that we’re also using miso, which is made from soybeans as well. Edamame are fresh soybeans, and miso is made from soybeans fermented with rice paste. Using both the fresh soybeans and fermented soybeans will give this dip a rich depth of flavor, leaving you to discover more levels of flavor with every bite. Sesame balances out the richness of the soybean flavors, and the garlic and ginger add brightness.

Suggestions for Serving Edamame Hummus

Try Soom tahini. You can buy it online.
If you have a Vitamix or another powerful blender, use it for this hummus. If you don’t, use your food processor.
Use as a dip with veggies
Spread it on crackers. This edamame hummus is great on plain water crackers. This is my preferred way to eat it.
Use as a spread for toast or sandwiches and top with other Japanese ingredients, such as tuna mixed with Kewpie mayo and soy sauce.

What Can I Substitute for Tahini?

While tahini is one of the star ingredients, it could possibly be substituted if you are unable to buy it. (Although this Soom tahini is readily available online.) To substitute tahini, you will need another nut or seed butter, such as sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or even peanut butter in a pinch, although that flavor is a bit strong. Mix in 1 tsp. sesame oil for every 3 T. nut or seed butter, and adjust to taste.

Can I Use Fresh Edamame?

While fresh edamame can certainly be substituted for frozen in this recipe, using frozen edamame is preferable because thawing adds moisture, making the beans easier to blend. Soaking fresh edamame in ice water for a half-hour before using will help them soften similarly to frozen edamame.

What Can I Substitute For Mirin?

Mirin is a sweet-tangy rice wine with a high sugar and low alcohol content, very similar to Japanese sake. If you can’t find mirin in your local stores, you can substitute sake with a bit of sugar added, or use rice wine vinegar with some sugar added to taste.

What Can I Substitute for Miso Paste?

Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and is a mild but tangy and funky paste often used in Japanese cooking. It works in this recipe to add depth since edamame are fresh soybeans and miso is made from fermented soybeans. If you can’t get miso paste, you can add a bit of soy sauce to this recipe, but keep in mind that soy sauce is both saltier and a liquid rather than a paste.

Ingredients

12 ounce bag of shelled edamame, frozen
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon miso
- I used white miso
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1” piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced.
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- or another neutral oil
1/4 cup tahini
sesame oil, for finishing
sesame seeds, for garnishing

Directions

Step 1

Boil the edamame and the garlic in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add the miso and the 1/2 cup of hot water to a small bowl. Stir until the miso has mostly dissolved in the water. Let cool.

Step 2

Use a spoon to peel the skin off of the ginger. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the ginger.

Step 3

In your blender or food processor, add the edamame, garlic, miso & water mixture, rice vinegar, mirin, sliced ginger and tahini. Pulse or blend, and add water in 1 tablespoon increments as needed to help the process. Then drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Once it is pureed to your liking, transfer the edamame hummus to a bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of sesame oil and stir. Top with sesame seeds – I like a mix of black and white sesame seeds – and serve.

hummus, edamame, edamame hummus

snack

Yield: 4

Author: Lanyap Cookery