Sassy Black-Eyed Pea and Poblano Pepper Dip

When I first made this black-eyed pea dip for my friend’s New Year’s get-together, even with a generous garnish of fresh chopped cilantro, it lacked what you might call “curb appeal.” People liked it once they tried it, but the ho-hum beige color wasn’t quite enough to lure some folks in for that critical first bite.

So on my next try, I broke down and did something I have not yet done on Veggie Quest: I put cheese on top. Which, in my book, ups the “curb appeal” of pretty much any dish immediately and exponentially. (Okay, so it’s not exactly plant-based. But neither is this recipe; everyone needs a cheat once in awhile!)

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This recipe is adapted from the “Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Dip” recipe by Laura Zapalowski in Cooking Light, December 2007. (I found it online at MyRecipes.com.) It’s perfect for a celebration on a cold January day; the oven warms the house, the roasting poblano pepper smells divine, and of course the black-eyed peas help out on the good luck front.

Prep time: 1 hour (or so) Serves: 12

Ingredients:

3 15-oz cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 c vegetable broth

½ c diced yellow onion

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 poblano pepper (about 4 oz)

¼ – ½ tsp salt (to taste)

1 8-oz container reduced-fat sour cream

⅓ c chopped green onions (about one bunch)

cooking spray

½ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Add onion, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and vegetable broth to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes partly covered, until onions are tender. Drain and set aside. (I recommend catching the super-rich broth in a mug, then warming it up later and throwing in some croutons. Divine!)

While onions are cooking, preheat the broiler. Put poblano pepper on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and broil about 15 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes or so, until pepper is blackened and charred. Do NOT panic and take the pepper out before it’s good and charred; if you do you’ll have a bear of a time removing the skin. (This is the voice of experience speaking.)

Turn oven temperature down to 375^oF.

Place pepper in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rest 15 minutes.

Wash, dry, and chop cilantro and onions. Rinse and drain black-eyed peas and add to food processor, along with cooked garlic and onion, the two raw garlic cloves, and salt.

When pepper is ready, peel off and discard its skin. Cut a slit in the pepper from top to bottom and remove and discard stem and seeds. Chop coarsely, and add to peas & company in food processor. Process until smooth, scraping as needed.

Add sour cream, and continue to process until combined. Taste and add just a little more salt than you think you need. (Heating the dip will make the taste of salt less apparent.)

Transfer dip to a large mixing bowl, stir in green onions, and spoon into a shallow 1-quart, broiler-safe pie pan or baking dish. Bake for 14 minutes, carefully remove from oven, and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle dip with shredded cheese and return to oven. Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese melts and gets a nice tan, like so:

Watch it carefully the whole time so it doesn’t scorch! When it’s done, top with fresh cilantro and serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, pretzels or veggies. Yum!

This dip is also delicious as a spread, warm or cold. For instance, this was my lunch today: