A simple but fantastic recipe for yellow split peas dip with onions and olive oil. The world famous Greek Fava!
Whenever I visit Greece, I gather all my best friends for a first meeting in a tavern. Usually, just after my plane lands. Our inner joke is when they ask me: “So, what should we order Socratis? What about some Fava?”
They know my passion about Fava and how much I love this “honest” and simple appetizer. For me, it’s the epitome of a fine Greek dish, where all the magic comes from the quality of the ingredients Mother Nature abundantly offers us.
Fava is made from a vegetable in the pulses family called…Fava! The most famous (and may be most expensive) is the one that grows in Santorini, the popular volcano island in the middle of Aegean sea. In the rest of the world, I believe the closest thing is the yellow split pea.
Yellow split peas are used worldwide in soups, or as a secondary ingredient in a dish. In Fava they have the leading role. Fava is easy to make and delicious to taste. Don’t be afraid to top it with plenty of chopped onion and extra-virgin olive oil.
Yummy!
- 500 gr (17 oz) yellow split peas.
- 2 medium onions chopped (+ one more for topping).
- 1 carrot grated.
- ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil (+ more for topping).
- Juice from one lemon.
- Salt and ground pepper.
- Heat up the olive oil in a large and deep pot on medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook them for 3-4 minutes until they start getting soft.
- Add the yellow split peas and cook them together with the onion and carrots for a couple of minutes while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Add 5-6 cups of hot water until it covers all the ingredients. Stir well and bring it to boil.
- Let your yellow peas boil on medium heat without a pot lid while checking if there is enough water. At the end, the peas must have melted and have a mashy texture. If your peas are not done yet, add a bit of hot water from time to time (you may need to do this a few times). Remember to stir occasionally. Your peas are almost ready when spitting bubbles start to form. Add the lemon juice. The whole cooking should last 45-60 minutes.
- For a more silky texture, you can use a food blender when your peas are ready.
- Serve the Fava warm topped with chopped onion and plenty of olive oil.
- Bon appetit!
