FOOLIYA, DELICIOUS SYRIAN BEAN DIP-- SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE

Dinner last night-- tabbouleh, olives, crackers, Syrian bean dip, and raw veggie dippers

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while-- many things keeping me from blogging.

The delicious dip (or spread) in the photos and the recipe below is my take on a Syrian dish called Fooliya (pronounced Foo-lee-ya), which is made with dried fava (or broad) beans. I have a hard time finding dried fava beans in my area. However, I have noticed that cooked, pureed dried favas are similar in taste to cooked, pureed dried yellow split peas, so I use the split peas as a substitute, with good results. (They are much cheaper and more available in many areas, too.) The onions cooked with the peas lend a lovely sweetness to the puree.

This dip makes a nice change from the equally delicious, but ubiquitous, hummus, and is just as nutritious.  Leftovers could be mixed with some broth and/or water to make a light soup, as well.

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BRYANNA'S SYRIAN-STYLE BEAN AND ONION DIP (FOOLIYA)
Approximate servings: 8 
Serve at room temperature with crackers, flatbread, or raw veggies.

1 cup dried yellow split peas
3 cups water
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
Garnish:
1/4 cup (more or less) chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Optional:
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (many markets now sell these fresh in packages in the produce section-- they can be frozen)

Place the split peas, water and onion wedges in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium-low, cover and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the peas are softened and the water is almost absorbed.

Pour the mixture into a food processor and process until smooth (Take the pusher out of the funnel and cover the hole loosely with a folded clean tea towel, so that steam does not build up inside the processor.) Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process briefly again.

Scoop the mixture onto a large , flat bowl, or plate with a bit of a depression in it (see picture). Smooth the mixture out. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and use the back of a clean spoon to spread the olive oil around evenly. Allow to cool to room temperature, then sprinkle with the garnishes.

Serve with raw vegetable dippers, crackers or flatbread. Leftovers should be refrigerated in a covered container, but bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 165.5 calories; 37% calories from fat; 7.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 478.6mg sodium; 331.4mg potassium; 20.2g carbohydrates; 7.1g fiber; 4.1g sugar; 13.1g net carbs; 6.6g protein; 3.1 points.

Enjoy!