Name: Greek Fava: Yellow Split Pea Puree
Yield: Makes 2 to 3 cups (480 to 720 milliliters); serves 4 as a side dish
Cuisine: Greece
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced; 1 cup (330 grams) dried yellow split peas, picked over to remove any rocks, rinsed; ½ lemon, cut into wedges (optional); ¼ red onion, cut into ¼-inch (6-millimeter) dice (optional); 4 kalamata olives; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from ½ large lemon)

Preparation info

Makes 2 to 3 cups ; serves
4
as a side dish

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Modern Mediterranean

By Melia Marden

Published 2013

About

In Greece this dip is simply called fava, confusing English speakers because it has nothing to do with what we call fava beans. It’s one of those dishes that is actually very simple but every taverna, in Greece as well as in Greek neighborhoods around the world, has its own slightly different take. I tend to use the quality of the fava as a litmus test when choosing my favorite Greek restaurants. Here, I tried to mimic the traits I like most—a creamy texture, full but not overpowerin