Edamame meets avocado in this lightened-up dip recipe. Serve it as a party snack with pita chips or veggies, and save the leftover to spread on your sandwich the next day!

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

What Is Edamame?

Do you like edamame? These fresh soybeans are typically cooked in heavily salted water, and often served in their pods as a starter in Japanese restaurants.

Edamame are like bar nuts—they’re salty and go great with beer.

Turning Edamame into a Dip

Now that edamame have become popular in the States and you can usually easily find them frozen, both shelled and shell-on. They are rather tasty beans, so I thought we would make a simple bean dip with them.

So good! This edamame dip includes cilantro, lime juice, yogurt, and a whole avocado. Also just a little bit of Tabasco and dark sesame oil for some sparkle. It’s similar to guacamole, but with more protein and body from the edamame beans.

What to Serve with Edamame Dip

Serve the dip with pita chips, crostini, or a vegetable tray. It’s fairly thick, so you’ll want something sturdy to scoop it up. It’s also good on rice crackers or as a sandwich spread, as some of our readers who have made this dip have suggested.

By the way, if you want to make your own pita chips, cut pita bread into triangles, and cook in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until crispy.

How to Make it Vegan

As written, this recipe uses a half cup of yogurt to make it creamy and add some tangy flavor. But several of our readers have whipped up vegan versions with great success! Here are a few substitutes to try:

Vegan Cashew Cream

Coconut milk or other non-dairy yogurt

Olive oil, similar to hummus

How to Store this Dip

This dip keeps well for a few days if covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the fridge. Try squeezing a little lemon juice over the top to prevent it from browning and stir it up before serving.

Try These Other Party Dips!