Edamame Dip with Garlic and Dill

This vegan, 5-ingredient edamame dip is inspired by Eastern European flavors. It’s lemony, garlicky, and can be prepped in advance.

Shelled edamame is an ingredient you’ll always find in my freezer. It’s affordable, basically non-perishable, and an easy way to add protein to plant-based meals.

I’d been working on an edamame dip for months, but the right seasonings kept eluding me. I was going for an East Asian flavor profile with soy sauce and sesame oil (i.e. things I’d usually pair with edamame pods) but the results just weren’t what I was looking for.

Then I realized: puréed edamame is actually really creamy. Sounds bizarre, but it reminded me of farmer cheese, something I ate a ton of as a kid. The two are both dense yet spreadable, with a fatty mouthfeel; add lemon juice and edamame even becomes tangy like the cheese.

That’s when it clicked: what my dip needed was dill and raw garlic. Essentially, I decided to recreate a farmer cheese spread my mom makes called originalnaya zakuska (“original appetizer”). (While I can’t find evidence of it being a traditional Ukrainian recipe, I did find a similar Lithuanian concept.) This edamame dip is basically the dairy-free version of hers.

What to Expect From This Recipe

This edamame dip (spread? purée? hummus?) is garlicky, lemony, and herbaceous. It’s totally vegan and an excellent source of protein (one serving has 5 grams, about as much as 1 egg). It comes together in minutes and calls for just 5 ingredients.

Key Ingredients + Substitutions

• Shelled Edamame: Look for shelled edamame in the frozen vegetables aisle; it’s also available at Trader Joe’s.
• Tahini: This Middle Eastern sesame paste adds richness to this oil-free dip. Look for tahini in the international foods aisle or near the other nut butters. Look for tahini that’s light beige, smooth, and runny; avoid tahini that appears gritty. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods 365 brands are both good options.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens the dip and balances the other flavors.
• Fresh Dill: This is the main flavoring of this spread, so I do not recommend substituting it with anything else. Do not use dried dill.

How to Make This Edamame Dip (Step-by-Step Photos)

Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Boil the Edamame

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the edamame. Simmer just until it’s tender, about 5 minutes. Then drain in a mesh strainer and run under cold water until completely cooled. (Alternatively, cook the edamame in the microwave according to package directions.)

Step 2: Add to a Food Processor

Transfer the edamame to a food processor and add all the other ingredients except the dill. Purée until mostly smooth.

Step 3: Add the Dill

Add the dill and continue puréeing until it’s incorporated, but not fully broken down; you should still see some whole dill bits suspended in the edamame purée.