Minneapolis is one delicious city. I haven’t unpacked my bags yet, but I have a list of recipe ideas from the past week and can’t wait to recreate them. Let’s procrastinate on unpacking and catching up on emails for a bit longer and talk about a much more pressing matter—edamame hummus. Have you tried it yet?
I got a taste of edamame hummus at a nearby sushi restaurant recently, then I discovered a tubbed version at Trader Joe’s, and then I had to make some myself. It’s rich, lemony, and high in protein (so is the traditional chickpea kind). It’s green, too, thanks to the edamame, which are green soybeans. I buy frozen, shelled edamame and defrost them in a pot of boiling water.
The word “hummus” is derived from the Arabic word for chickpeas, so this chickpea-free hummus is quite untraditional. To balance edamame’s very green flavor and fibrous texture, I had to use a little more tahini, lemon juice and water than my go-to herbed hummus recipe.
Combined with crisp veggies or whole-grain crackers, edamame hummus is a delicious, healthy snack or appetizer. If you need a break from standard hummus (horrors!), please give this one a shot! I’ll be sharing a fun appetizer concept featuring this hummus in a couple of days.
Fun news about Love Real Food:
- Yoga Journal shared 3 Road-Trip-Ready Recipes
- Erin made my Tahini Kale Caesar Salad
- Sonja and Alex made my Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
- Elizabeth made my Greek Nachos
- Alexandra made my Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Almost 150 reviews on Amazon! Thank you!
Edamame Hummus
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Vegan
Learn how to make edamame hummus with this easy recipe! Serve it with sliced crisp vegetables, crackers or pita bread for a delicious, healthy appetizer or snack. Recipe yields about 2 cups hummus.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
- 1 medium clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 ½ cups shelled edamame (10 ounces), preferably organic, defrosted if frozen*
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water, as necessary
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of your food processor or high-powered blender (i.e. Vitamix or Blendtec), combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. Process for about 1½ minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is well blended.
- Add the cilantro and process for about 1 minute, pausing to scrape down the bowl as necessary, until the herbs have blended into the mixture and the mixture is nice and smooth.
- Add half of the edamame to the food processor, plus 2 tablespoons water, and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining edamame and process until the hummus is thick and quite smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes more. If your hummus is too thick or chunky, run the food processor while drizzling in 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, as necessary, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste and blend in additional salt if the hummus doesn’t taste awesome yet (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon). Scrape the hummus into a small serving bowl. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with some additional cilantro leaves and a few sesame seeds, if desired. Leftover hummus keeps well, chilled, for 4 to 6 days.
Notes
Recipe inspire by Blue Sushi. Adapted from my green goddess hummus, which is available on the blog and in my cookbook.
Tahini notes: Tahini varies quite a bit by brand. My current favorite is Trader Joe’s brand. I have also enjoyed Whole Foods 365 in the past.
*How to defrost edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the frozen edamame and simmer until warmed through (about 4 to 6 minutes). Drain well and let cool on a plate for at least 5 minutes before using.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Kate
Looking forward to trying this!
Where did you eat when you were in Minneapolis? What did you do? I moved to Minneapolis a couple years ago and I LOVE it. Such an underrated city.
Kate
Hey, Kate! I wrote a bit more about my trip to Minneapolis in an earlier post. I adored my trip and the small slice of the city I got to experience!
Bridget Wall
Agreed! It’s a fun city, if I do say so myself. :) Glad you were able to visit, and good choice in Hola Arepa. Did you get to Tongue in Cheek for their veg tasting menu? If you get back, I highly recommend it!
Esther
I cannot WAIT to try this. I love hummus and I love edamame so the two together? Wow, so excited. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Esther! I hope you get to try it.
Lori
This is off topic, I have been enjoying so many of your recipes lately! I just made your chimichurri sauce, and have been having it on all our grilled veggies and my second batch I mixed with a can of chickpeas. I love the cookbook, too, and have made lots of recipes from it! Big thank you from my family.
Kate
I’m so glad, Lori!
Sarah
I LOVE edamame hummus! Been making it for years. It’s such a fun alternative to the chickpea version! (I usually defrost the beans by just running them under hot water in a colander – saves using a pot.)
★★★★★
Kate
Ooh, even easier!
Meredith | Earth & Oven
Thisssss is so gorgeous! And a perfectly delicious way to use up frozen edamame!
Kate
Exactly! I feel like I always have a bag hanging around in the back of my freezer.
Gerlinde de Broekert
I have been buying the edamame humus from Trader Joe for a while. Thanks for the recipe, now I can make it myself.
Kate
Yes! I liked the TJ’s version, too.
Kara
I ADORE that hummus at blue sushi! Can’t wait to try this out!
Kate
It’s too good! You’ll love it if you like the one at Blue.
Steph
Hi Kate – Do I have to put the garlic – I’m allergic to it…(also coconut, makes for some interesting meals lol)
★★★
Kate
You can omit it. Garlic is generally non-essential. You can always amp up the flavor by adding extra herbs or green onion or citrus juice.
Steph
Thanks, Kate!!! I’m excited to try :)
Rise Shine Cook | Ashley Madden
Looking forward to the appetizer! YUM! LOL love the “horrors”…as if anyone could get sick of hummus! :)
★★★★★
Kate
Haha! Not possible to get sick of hummus, but it’s good to mix it up!
Sara
Kate, I finally got your book today! Yes, that’s how long it took my bookseller to get it to Switzerland… I’m so excited and can’t wait to go through it! I should cancel all other plans tonight^^
Kate
Oh, I’m so glad it finally got to you! I hope it was worth the long wait. Please report back on what you try!
Maria
I love edamame!! And hummus! I’m always looking for a new spin on a classic! Yum. Looking forward to seeing your appetizer featuring this edamame hummus! :)
Kate
Thanks Maria! I think you’ll like it. :)
vikki
Hi Kate, I am going to try this recipe next week as a treat for myself. I will make some cheese and herb crackers to accompany this hummus. My daughter and I love hummus but this sounds delicious. Well Done with your recipe book on Amazon you deserve it. Thank you for sharing.
Kate
Thank you, Vikki! I hope you and your daughter love the edamame hummus. Homemade crackers and cheese sounds amazing with this!
Chanel
Love, love, love this hummus alternative! Having lived in the Middle East, I was a hummus purist for the longest time and used to turn up my nose at all the roasted red pepper, jalapeno, etc. variations that started to pop up in the markets once hummus became trendy in the U.S. After going from vegetarian to strictly plant based, I have expanded my horizons beyond my basic Israeli recipe and was pleasantly surprised at how much flavour these mix-ins add. Also love your Green Goddess Hummus! Thank you for posting such creative recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad you were convinced to branch out. ;) There are so many delicious varieties out there!
Jamie Kalliongis
I just made this and it was outstanding. I actually think it’s much better than regular hummus, which I adore… I definitely will be making this again!
★★★★★
Kate
Great! I’m so happy you found this one, Jamie.
Julie
Bess.Edamame.Hummus.Ever. !!!
Makes a great vegan sandwich spread!!
(I was out of garlic and used a shallot instead… delicious!)
Thanks!
P.S I live your cookbook :D
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you :) I am so happy you liked it! Thank you for your review. If you want to leave a review on Amazon for my cookbook (if you haven’t already) I would really appreciate it!
Kara
You are my sister and my “go to” as vegetarians! We always know that your recipes will turn out tasty and amazing! Love this recipe and only make one adjustment and add some smoked paprika in the recipe to taste and a little on top when serving for color!
Kate
You’re so sweet Kara! Thanks so much.
Grma Linda
OH Grma Here is excited to try the hummus recipes on my Vegan friends.
Love your site. Thank you
Kate
Thank you!!
Julie
Best hummus ever! Seriously. Wow it was so good.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Julie!
Amanda
Just made this today with my 1 1/2 yr old and 4 yr old. It’s great! They both loved it too which is a total win for me! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Amanda!
Judy
One suggestion: Use less words. Those of us who are elderly, or just busy; woul then find it easier to follow your recipe
Kate
Hi Judy, I’m sorry you aren’t satisfied with my blog content and layout. I have found readers enjoy understanding where I have come up with a recipe, any tips or tricks and very detailed instructions to help with the success of their recipe. I do appreciate your feedback!
Sam
My son loves summer fresh edamame hummus (the one without the jalapeño/cilantro toppers) but our grocery store does not sell it anymore. I would like to try your recipe. What can I use instead of cilantro. We both detest cilantro. Can I just leave it out or should I substitute for something else? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Sam! Sometimes parsley can work well to substitute for cilantro. I haven’t tried it here, but you could test it. Let me know how it goes.
Joy
Delicious! It’s a nice twist on hummus. Goes wonderfully as a spread on grilled pita bread with roasted veggies. You know it’s a winner recipe when they want you to double the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Joy! I appreciate your review.
AB
I’ve made this recipe four times now, experimenting with little changes along the way. Cilantro and I don’t get along (it tastes like soap) so I’ve tried a little arugula (it was ok,) a little Thai basil (better than the arugula) and this last time I left out leafies but I sliced and sautéed the garlic (a full on winner!)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a simple and healthy recipe that my whole family enjoys!! Can’t wait to try so many other recipes of yours!!
★★★★★
Mo
This was delicious! I say “was” because we are all of it for lunch in about ten minutes flat. So yummy. I used parsley instead of coriander – as soon as my coriander-hating partner is away I will try with the good stuff!
★★★★★
Nancy
Loved this recipe, you can taste the lemon and garlic. Liked the addition of the cilantro. We added a sprinkle of fresh parmigiana on top and ate it on homemade wheat crackers from Lakewinds co-op. Excellent!!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds wonderful! I am snacking on hummus and crackers right now, funny enough. :)
Lisa P
What a beautiful recipe! Perfect way to marry my favs…edamame and hummus. The lemon adds a wonderful brightness to this dip. So delicious. Definitely one for my recipe book. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lisa. I appreciate your review.
June cooper
Followed the recipe exactly. However, tasted mostly of lemon, so rather bitter.
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, June.
Elliot Fisch
Can you make this without tahini?
Kate
Tahini is an important ingredient in hummus. I recommend it for best result and creaminess.
Suzanne
I was really excited to make this! I omitted cilantro, but I used fresh edamame instead of frozen. It tasted very bitter? Would the fresh make it that way? The consistency was perfect. It also was very lemony, I used bottled lemon juice and cut down the amount. What did I do wrong?
★★★
Kate
Hi Suzaane, it could have been the fresh vs frozen edamame. Sometimes bottled lemon juice can impact the flavor as there can be additives in it. I’m sorry you didn’t love the end result!
Rebecca
This WAS incredible! Thank you. I added a few raw walnuts & used Basil instead of cilantro. Can’t wait to serve this as a healthy dip to my friends.
★★★★★
Deanne
Just made this and it’s wonderful. I’m camping in an area that has a great grocery store but no tahini. Staffer suggested sesame oil so I used that instead of olive oil and it worked great. I’ve also been to a restaurant on Maui that served this with tortilla chips. theirs had a little bite to it so I used a little jalapeno (not to much) I had on hand. It was great.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Deanne! I appreciate your review.
Deborah White
I made this today. Used bottled lemon juice but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. Used Soom tahini, which I think is delicious. It turned out great.
★★★★★
Barbara Sussman
I had some leftover edamame beans, and made this recipe- it’s delicious! I’m thinking of making it a fancy appetizer by piping it on the end of endives or wontons- I might add a little ginger, and a few drops of sesame oil, and soy sauce for that. As a dip- it is perfect as is.
★★★★★
Jen
So glad to have found this recipe! Especially cuz here in Germany there are small cans of edamame cheap at Aldi lately. I’m guessing they might be a bit softer than the frozen/thawed product. I’ve found I can throw all ingredients in a bowl and blend with immersion blender. Comes out great and super fast as blending in steps wasn’t necessary.
I would also say the lemon is kinda strong so folks could start with less if they don’t want that flavor to be so prominent.
I’m excited to try more types and variations of hummus now :)
★★★★★