We love it: a sandwich with a spread. When I just started eating plant-based, I didn’t really know how to replace cheese, cheese spread or the vegetarian filet american. So I ate humus. Lots of humus. I’m still a fan of the popular chickpea spread, but eventually I wanted something different. Of course, I’ve made variations like this beet hummus, also super delicious, and baba ganoush, but still…I wanted to spread something different on my sandwich. Something with pea spread then?
Pea spread vegan
When I had peas left over in the freezer and lentils, I thought, I’ll just mix it together. Let’s see what comes out. And it’s super tasty! Pea spread with lentils and then the addition of garam masala – a typical Indian spice – and ground coriander also makes it taste just a little different from standard spreads. With a little spicyness due to the raw garlic.
So this pea spread is great to add to your sandwich options! My thoughts continue, maybe I should make a pea soup too! Actually crazy that I don’t do much with peas because I really like them.
Peas nutritional value
Peas are full of fiber, there is no cholesterol in them but 14 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Nothing wrong with that by the way, you need carbohydrates to generate energy for your body especially for your brain and red blood cells(Nutrition Center, 2020).
By the way, did you know that combining legumes such as peas with grains causes you to absorb more protein, or protein? Normally, lentils have a biological value (the ratio of protein in food relative to the human body) of 30-40% but when you eat it with whole grain bread in the form of a spread, that percentage increases to 70%. Thus, it is important to combine legumes and grains for optimal protein intake. Makes that pea spread sandwich that much more delicious! Ok, enough about the peas, ready for the recipe?
Pea spread with lentils
Ingredients
- 200 g lentils from a glass jar or can
- 150 g frozen peas
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Preparation
- Place the frozen peas in warm water for a moment to remove the ice from them.
- Meanwhile, chop the garlic or use a garlic press.
- Rinse the lentils (if using canned or glass lentils). You can also use home-cooked lentils, however, for this dish I used ready-made lentils from a glass jar.
- Drain the peas and put them in the blender. Also add the lentils, garlic, garam masala and cilantro. Turn on the blender and blend all the ingredients. Since the frozen peas are probably still a little wet, you basically don’t need to add extra water.
- Remove everything from the blender and put it in a tightly sealable tupperware or glass jar. You can store this spread in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
