Secret Recipe Club: Ginger-Miso Edamame Spread

It's that time of the month again... the Secret Recipe Club is back!

I'm really excited because my my assignment this month was none other than our fabulous Group A leader, Jane, whose blog The Heritage Cook is bursting at the seams with all sorts of delicious recipes.

Meet This Month's Blogger

Aside from running the show for Group A, Jane is also a really talented gluten-free cook and has made over many of her favourites to accommodate her gluten intolerance.

She also runs a regular series called Chocolate Mondays, which is a positively genius idea if you ask me.

While it was tempting to choose one of her chocolate recipes, I'm totally obsessed with dips and spreads, so I almost instantly chose the Ginger-Miso Sweet Pea Spread which Jane adapted the recipe from Food and Wine.

I just couldn't resist the bright green colour or the fact that it featured green peas, one of my favourite spring ingredients.

How I Made This Recipe my Own

As you might be able to guess from the title of my post, I may have taken a few liberties with Jane's original recipe along the way.

I honestly meant to play it straight this month and just follow the original recipe for a change, but it seems that the universe had different plans for me.

You see, when I reached into the grocery store freezer to grab a bag of sweet peas, I accidentally grabbed a bag of shelled edamame beans sitting prettily one shelf down instead.

I suppose I could have put the edamame back and grabbed some peas, but I decided that this was the universe telling me I was meant to make this into an edamame dip instead. It was fate. Kismet. Serendipity.

From there, the recipe just kept moving in an ever-more-Asian direction.

The store was out of jalapenos, so I swapped them for a red hot chile instead, and they were also out of yellow miso, so I subbed in its slightly milder counterpart, white miso. And, never being one to take it easy on the ginger, I used double the amount of the original.

Which, to make a long story short, is how I eventually ended up with this Ginger-Miso Edamame Spread instead.

The Final Verdict

Despite all my meddling, I'm pleased to say this one is a winner.

Like apples and cinnamon, strawberries and rhubarb, or tomatoes and basil, edamame and miso are two flavours that are so much better together than they are apart. I suppose it makes sense, since technically they're both soybeans.

The nutty undertone of the edamame is echoed by the slight nuttiness of the miso, while the salty umami of the miso contrasts against the starchy green of the edamame, creating surprisingly complex layers of flavour for a dish with so few ingredients.

And best of all, it's stupidly easy to make, which makes it a perfect spring party appetizer.

You can use it to make crostini by slathering it generously onto thin slices of baguette, as I did here, or simply spoon it into a pretty bowl and surround it with crackers, pita chips or a variety of vegetable for dipping.

More Delicious Spring Appetizers

Obviously, this is my current favourite, but here are a few more delicious starters that make the most of spring's tastiest ingredients:

• Radish Toasts with Chive Butter
• Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns
• Flaky Chinese-Style Ramp Pancakes
• Fresh Easy Sweet Pea Soup
• Fresh Fava Bean Dip

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Ginger-Miso Edamame Spread

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Adapted from The Heritage Cook
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 10 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This Asian-inspired spread is perfect for spring entertaining - spread it onto thin slices of baguette to make crostini, or spoon it into a bowl and serve with crackers and vegetables for dipping.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 red hot chile, seeded and minced
• 3 cups shelled edamame beans (thawed, if frozen)
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup white miso

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Instructions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions, ginger and chile, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the edamame and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until the edamame are bright green and tender. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes or so.
2. Spoon the cooled edamame mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add miso and water, and process until pureed and smooth.
3. Transfer the pea mixture to a food processor and let cool slightly. Add the water and miso, and puree until smooth. Serve immediately, or cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve (up to 3 days).

• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Asian-Inspired