Greek Fava (Yellow Split Pea Dip)
Total Time
40 mins
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(4)
Ingredients
4 to 6 servings
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small red onion, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- topping ideas: smoked paprika, extra drizzle of olive oil, sliced (or minced) red onion, Kalamata olives, and/or capers
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Preparation
Step 1
Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
Step 2
Simmer. Add the water, yellow split peas, bay leaf, salt, cumin and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the yellow split peas have completely softened.
Step 3
Purée. Discard the bay leaf. Then, using an immersion blender (or see alternatives below), purée the mixture until smooth.
Step 4
Season. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until combined. Then taste the dip, and season with extra salt and/or lemon juice if needed. The fava will thicken considerably as it cools.
Step 5
Serve. Garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika and any other preferred toppings, then serve and enjoy! Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days.
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Yellow split peas:
I included a less expensive link above for yellow split peas. But if you would like to purchase authentic fava (yellow split peas) from Santorini’s PDO, here is a link to some that are actually from Greece.
Alternate seasoning:
Instead of using a cumin/smoked paprika blend, you could alternately season this dip with dried oregano (in place of cumin) and a sprinkle of fresh parsley as a garnish.
Blending options:
You can either use an immersion blender, as mentioned above. Or alternately, you can carefully transfer the fava in two batches to a traditional blender (be sure to vent the cap on the blender lid, so that hot air can escape), do the same in a food processor, or you can just roughly puree the mixture by hand with a fork.
