Yellow Split Pea Dip with Caramelised Onions, Capers and Paprika
I consider myself a fairly open-minded and adventurous diner, as in I like to try something different when I go out to a restaurant, or so I thought!
What I actually think though, is this, I’m in denial. I’m just bloody boring and always go for the same old thing, or in politer terms - I like what I like.
For starters or lunches, I mostly choose cheesy dishes, or perhaps seafood. However, during a recent family vacay to Zante in Greece, I spotted something entirely different on a menu and threw caution to the wind! In the process of trying something I’d not usually choose, I had a moment of realisation - what a dull creature of habit I truly am!
Yellow split peas with capers, caramelised onions and paprika. I probably wouldn’t have ordered this dish if it wasn't the end of a beautiful holiday and in our favourite restaurant and beach bar. I’d already scoffed their amazing feta cheese parcels and fresh seafood salad, it was time to shake things up.
It’s nice to step outside of the food comfort zone from time to time ;-)
I call myself a foodie, but as I read the menu, I thought to myself what are flippin split peas when they’re at home anyway🤷♀️. At that point, I decided they were lentils, or at least similar and chose my starter.
Since home from the fabulous holiday and buying a bag of split peas to trial the recipe I’ve learned this from Dr Google - they’re not lentils, but a field pea. “Split peas are the mature form of green peas: the dried seeds of peas are peeled and then split, increasing the surface area of the pea. As a result, split peas don’t need to be soaked and cook more quickly than whole peas.” Click here to read more.
What you need to know is they turn very quickly to mush so they make the perfect (and very tasty) dip!
Here’s the recipe.
Yellow Split Pea Dip with Caramelised Onions, Capers and Paprika
PREP TIME - 5 mins | COOK TIME 1 hour | SERVES 2 - 4 | RECIPE TYPE - SIDE/LUNCH | VEGAN
Ingredients
150grams yellow split peas
1 small red onion sliced
1 clove garlic
1/4 veg stock cube
1 tbsp capers
A pinch of smoked paprika
Seasoning
Vegetable oil for cooking the onions
Instructions
Rinse the split peas in a sieve under cold running water. Add to a 500ml pot of cold water with the garlic and the stock, simmer for 1 hour or until al the water is absorbed and the split peas are breaking down.
In another pan soften the onion in a little vegetable oil for about 10 mins, this should be done on quite a low heat so as not to fry the onion.
Once the split peas are cooked blend them with a hand-held blender, taste and season. If the mixture is very thick add a little water, the consistency should be similar to hummus.
Add the split pea mixture to a bowl, top with the onions, capers and a pinch of paprika. Serve immediately while warm or you can serve it cold.
My notes and tips
Such an easy dish to prepare, make sure your split peas are almost mush before you blend them, the dip should be as smooth as possible.
I’m not a huge fan of smoked paprika, it’s very powerful, remember the old saying less is more! I think it definitely is in this case.
Capers are also very powerful, you can chop them up or leave them out altogether, they’re not a deal-breaker, but if you’re a caper fan then the spike of sharp saltiness they add to the dip is very good indeed.
This recipe will feed 4 as a side dish or a light lunch with some pitta or flatbread.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe and feel inspired to make it. You won’t be disappointed, and if you’re a fan of hummus then I think it’ll be a winner.
I couldn’t finish the post without sharing some holiday snaps from Alykes in Zante. It was a genuinely brilliant holiday, we fell in love with the town, and the hospitality of the locals was second to none. We will definitely visit again someday.
Yamas!