A few months ago I was researching recipes for an upcoming Greek class, and even though I’ve taught this class multiple times, I like to make different dishes every time. That’s one thing I love about my job, I am always trying new things, so today I am sharing with you everyone’s favourite recipe in my last Greek class.
I have not been fortunate to travel to Greece, but it is definitely on my bucket list. All those beautiful towns, the people, the beaches, the music, the archaeological sites and of course the food! I love the brightness, the simplicity and the un-fussiness of Greek food and I always associate it with the people you are sharing that food with. All around good feelings for Greek things in general.
So I came across this recipe, and it caught my interest because even though its name says Fava, it is not actually made with fava beans. Instead, the main ingredient is yellow split peas! You need to cook the peas with humble ingredients like onions, garlic and carrots, simmer them in stock until softened to be finally blended into the dip. At the end, you emulsify with olive oil and brighten with lemon juice. Easy, right?
There is one thing to pay attention to in this recipe though, make sure you cook the mixture uncovered, and long enough to evaporate most of the liquid, otherwise you will get a really runny dip and that’s no fun at all! The mixture does thicken up as it stands after blending but it will not do that if you haven’t evaporated most of the stock first, so be mindful of that. If you can see the bottom of the pot as you run the spoon through the mixture, then you’re good to go.
The toppings in this recipe can vary from cook to cook, it could be as simple as some sliced onion and capers, or you could roast some mini tomatoes and use those instead. Always finish with a good drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil, serve with pita bread and enjoy!
GREEK FAVA, YELLOW SPLIT PEA DIP
1 cup yellow split peas
1 litre boiling water
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium carrot, diced (3/4 cup)
1 medium red or white onion, diced (3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 litre vegetable stock or water
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Garnish:
2 Tbsp capers
4 Tbsp thinly sliced red onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
In large bowl, place split peas and add the boiling water. Stir for 10 minutes, then drain and reserve.
In large saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and add carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaves and rosemary. Cook until vegetables start to soften and then add drained split peas, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium low heat and cook uncovered, stirring often, until split peas are very tender and mixture is thick, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and rosemary and transfer mixture to the food processor. Add remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil, zest and juice of one lemon and process until smooth. Fava will thicken as it cools.
Serve fava in a bowl, garnished with capers and red onion. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil.
Makes about 3 cups, serves 6-8 as a meze.