As a duo, spinach and feta cross all ethnic bounds and global borders. Throughout the Mediterranean, this couple flourishes. Greek pies such as spanakopita ooze with spinach and melted feta. Turkish phyllo pastries called boreks and even Italian stuffing for vegetables and meats depend on this duo.
How did these two become so universally popular?
Because they taste so good.
SPINACH FETA EDAMAME HUMMUS
Makes 4 cups
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach leaves, defrosted and squeezed to remove excess moisture
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 cup crumbled feta
salt, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup shelled, cooked edamame (see note)
Place the chickpeas, spinach, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, hot sauce, feta and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or blender.
With the machine running, slowly drizzle the oil into the blender and puree about 2 minutes until smooth. Add the edamame and use 2 or 3 on/off pulses until combined. Chill and serve.
Note: Shelled edamame, or soybeans, can be found in most frozen-food sections.
Per 1/4 -cup serving: 99 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protein, 101 milligrams sodium
Steve Petusevsky wrote this article for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which provided the recipe analysis.