For the longest time, I associated edamame only with Asian cuisines. It is delicious in the little pods, sprinkled with coarse salt, but shelled edamame can be so much more versatile than Japanese restaurants would lead us to believe. The first time I had edamame with goat cheese, my world was rocked. Whole new possibilities for the little green soybeans opened up, and life has been better ever since. A local Asian fusion restaurant we stumbled upon a few years ago was serving edamame dumplings with goat cheese, truffle oil, and pea shoots in a miso broth. We ordered one bowl only to order another because they were just too delicious.
This spread borrows from that edamame- goat cheese combination we had, but uses lemon and chives to brighten it up and extra-virgin olive oil to round it out. While I call it a spread, it doubles as a dip and just may replace your favorite hummus this spring. It is green, tangy, and bright, and I promise it could not be easier.
Edamame and Goat Cheese Spread
1 cup fozen shelled edamame, thawed
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese (local if you can find it!)
2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
generous pinch or two of salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until mostly smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Use it like hummus, and serve alongside vegetables, on crostini, or on a sandwich. Makes about 3/4 cup.
