Greek Fava is an easy to make creamy and delicious dip made from yellow split peas, onion and garlic. Perfect to enjoy as an appetiser with some bread, part of a mezze platter.
A couple of years ago my husband and I, together with my cousin and her boyfriend, travelled to Greece to discover Athens and the islands of Mykonos and Santorini. We had planned all our days filled with adventure and places to visit. It was a holiday I will cherish forever! As always, apart from preparing with the others a list of daily adventures, I also prepared a list of what to eat while in Greece. The list was quite long! This is mainly because, even before my visit, I always was of the opinion that Greek cuisine was one of the best, hence while being there I wanted to make the most of it! Looking back, I think it was a success, we ate our way around Greece. I ended up falling in love even further with the Greek cuisine and nowadays I try to learn more about it and how to make some of its delicacies. Something which I would like to share with you along the way in this food blog journey.
On our first night in Santorini we dined in a local taverna in Imerovigli, a clifftop village overlooking the caldera close to Thira. We were overwhelmed with the options they had, so we decided to try and sample as much food as we could, especially from the appetisers menu. I knew what I had to order first! Before going to Santorini, I knew I had to try the local speciality dip: Fava. I wasn’t disappointed! I was obsessed! I spent the rest of the holiday just eating my way through the different greek fava I found from the different tavernas on the island. The creaminess and deliciousness of the fava was the perfect start of every meal. I even ended up buying Santorini’s famous yellow split peas to take home with me, as they are considered to be the best, since they grow in volcanic soil. Nowadays, I make it quite often and try to source good quality yellow split peas from greek shops or from the greek section at supermarkets.
What is Fava?
Fava, here it’s not referring to the fava (broad) bean, but rather to a dip made from yellow split peas. The yellow split peas are the main protagonists of the dip, which are complemented by an onion and some garlic.
This Greek Fava dip is easy to make, as unlike any other dried bean dip you don’t have to soak the yellow split peas prior to cooking, however it is ideal to wash them so to remove any gravel and old dried peas in order to have a smoother fava. Also, you don’t have to bother with chopping up the garlic and onions, I just keep them in chunks as they will be eventually cooked down and blended at the end.
To serve
One of my go to’s to serve fava, is to top it up with some capers, thinly sliced red onion or shallot, a drizzle of olive oil and some lemon juice. However, you can also top it up with some fresh parsley, oregano or thyme and even some chopped tomatoes. Don’t forget to include some crusty bread or homemade pita and some wine, if it is Assyrtiko it’s a plus!
Greek Fava Split Pea Dip
Ingredients
For the dip:
- 200 g yellow split pea 1 cup
- 750 ml water 3 cups
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
To serve:
- capers
- red onion/shallot
- olive oil
- lemon
Instructions
- Rinse the split peas with plenty of water and remove any gravel or debris.
- In a sauce pan add all the dip ingredients together, except from the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- While it is boiling, you’ll notice some foam on the surface. Remove the foam with a slotted spoon.
- Cover and let it simmer for about 40 minutes or else until the peas start breaking down and become mushy. If it appears to be drying too fast, add a bit of water so that it doesn’t burn.
- Once they are cooked, puree everything using an immersion blender for a velvety texture. Season with salt and pepper and mix in some olive oil to taste.
- You can serve it immediately or let it cool down to room temperature for a thicker consistency.
- Serve it in a shallow bowl, and top it up with some capers, red onion/shallot and drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice on top.
- Enjoy it as a dip with some pita bread or crusty bread.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
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