Ellie Krieger
THE WASHINGTON POST – Whirring edamame in a food processor with lemon juice, oil, water and a little salt yields a creamy, nutritious, brilliantly green spread that can be enjoyed in countless ways.
I originally came up with it as a buttery alternative for my vegan guests to slather on their baguette slices at dinner one night. But everyone at the table, vegan and omnivore alike, enjoyed it so much it is now a regular bread-spread in my home.
I’ve been making double-batches of it lately, using it for so much more: as a base layer on toast to change things up from avocado, as a dip for vegetables and, as in this recipe, as a protein-rich spread for sandwiches.
Here, it is smeared onto whole grain wraps, then topped with crisp, colourful vegetables – cucumber, radish, and lettuce – plus a nutty crunch of toasted sunflower seeds and a tangy burst of quick-pickled onion, then rolled up into a handheld lunch that’s bursting with exciting flavours and textures.
It’s a wrap that keeps well in a cooler for a picnic, or is a delicious way to upgrade your work lunch. Like the edamame spread itself, the sandwich is an out-of-the-ordinary combination that is so good, it just may become your new regular.
LEMONY EDAMAME SPREAD AND VEGETABLE WRAPS
Here, a creamy, citrusy, brilliantly green spread made by simply whirring edamame and a few other ingredients in a food processor. It is then slathered onto a wrap, then rolled up with crisp, colourful vegetables, toasted sunflower seeds and a tangy burst of quick-pickled onions.
Ingredients
For the pickled onions
– Quarter cup boiling water
– One tablespoon honey
– Half cup white vinegar
– One small red onion, thinly sliced
For the edamame spread
– One cup frozen, shelled edamame
– Two tablespoons lemon juice
– Two tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
– Two tablespoons water
– Quarter teaspoon fine salt
For serving
– Four whole wheat wrap breads or tortillas
– Quarter cup toasted sunflower seeds, divided
– Half cup thinly sliced Persian or English cucumber, divided
– Half cup thinly sliced radish, divided
– One-and-one-third cups torn lettuce or baby lettuce leaves, any variety, divided
Directions
Make the pickled onions
In a two-cup wide-mouth jar, whisk together the boiling water and honey until dissolved. Stir in the vinegar, then add the onions and gently stir to ensure the onions are mostly if not completely submerged.
Let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until pickled, at least 20 minutes and up to two hours. You will have twice the amount needed for this recipe; you should get about one-and-three-quarter cups total.
Make the edamame spread
Cook the edamame on the stove or in the microwave as per the instructions on the package. Rinse under cold, running water to chill, then drain well.
Transfer the edamame to the small bowl of a food processor or a mini-chopper, and add the lemon juice, oil, water and salt. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, about one minute; you should get about one cup.
To serve, warm the wrap breads or tortillas, if desired, by placing each directly on the grates of a gas burner for 10 to 20 seconds per side. (If you don’t have a gas stove, place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through).
Spread a quarter of the edamame spread onto each wrap (about three tablespoons) then top each with one tablespoon of sunflower seeds, several cucumber and radish slices, one heaping tablespoon of pickled onions and about one-third cup of lettuce leaves. Roll up into a wrap and serve.
