Frozen Peas Are The Unexpected Ingredient For Quick And Delicious Dip

Many people say that frozen peas have a better texture than fresh, but that's not the only reason to stock your freezer with these little green jewels. As we know from making mushy peas and slow cooker split pea soup, these veggies become thick and creamy when they come out of their shell. They may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when you think of dip, but just a few supporting ingredients can turn frozen peas into the star of a few great recipes.

All you need is a blender or food processor and a bag of thawed peas to get started. Unlike many other main ingredients in delicious dips, green peas are packed full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, and a plethora of vitamins (including A, C, and K), so your final product will be a highly nutritious choice. And unlike some recipes that have a laundry list of ingredients (we're looking at you, seven-layer taco dip), a pea-based version can be made with just a few staples. No need to cook anything separately, chop anything ahead of time, or shell fresh peas — just toss everything in your blending device of choice and you'll be good to go.

To make the most basic (but still tasty) type of pea dip, you only need a few ingredients: the thawed veggies, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Before you add your peas to the food processor, make sure they've fully cooled if you defrosted them by heating them up. When everything is blending, you may want to add a little water to thin out the mixture as needed. But if you prefer a little chunkiness in your dip, you can stop pulsing everything in the food processor a little before it becomes smooth.

While the basic pea dip tastes good, there are a plethora of ingredients you can use to spruce up your recipe. Lime juice, lemon zest, and herbs like mint, basil, parsley, and tarragon all add notes of brightness and freshness. To up the veggie content, you can also add in spinach or white beans. If you're going for a thicker, heartier dip, feel free to pour in some Greek yogurt or tahini, or choose from cheeses like goat, Parmesan, ricotta, or feta. While you can definitely toss all of these ingredients into your blender, you can also use some of them (like Parmesan and mint leaves) as a garnish on top with a drizzle of olive oil. But as long as you have a bag of frozen peas, you have the key ingredient that will get you started.