Whelp, it's almost Thanksgiving, and you know what that means: We're vegetarian. This time of year is, hands down, the time when our dietary choices become super prominent. At this point, nearly fifteen years into it, I don't normally have to have any conversations about it (with people asking me, deeply suspicious, why I don't eat meat), but it's still a Thing: lots of dishes this time a year are made with chicken stock, people are breaking out the fancy foods for appetizers, which usually means shrimp or something, and, of course, the whole holiday is structured around eating one type of unfortunate bird.

Though this time of year is a special one, I have to admit that we've been talking a lot about the dearth of meat on our table. Lou buys lunch at school, and though there are ostensibly veggie options every day, I know that she's sometimes ends up eating only an apple. Now that we're all feeding our wee babes, conversations about menus for Westley's cohort keep coming up. And several parents have asked how we incorporate protein into Lou's diet. I'll be honest: I don't worry about protein. Lots of stuff have it, including the gluten-y grains you can pry from our cold, dead hands. But iron I do think about, and it's tricky when my child, like most children, abhors spinach and refuses chick peas. But you know what she will eat? Edamame. And that's for the win, because soybeans have the highest iron content of plant-based foods (though edamame, which are younger soybeans, has a little less than mature soybeans).

Plain, salted edamame is a perfectly delicious snack, but if you're trying to squeeze it in, it's nice to have options. Enter this fantastic dip, which is so ridiculously easy to make in a food processor, and you're golden. It's really good with veggies, but salty tortilla chips really kick it up a notch. If you're looking for an appetizer to take to Thanksgiving dinner, or something to replace your daily hummus grind, you've found it.

Easy Edamame Dip

Ingredients

1 10 ounce bag frozen edamame, shelled, cooked and drained according to package directions
1-3 cloves of garlic, depending on size and how garlicky you like it
juice of one lime or lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro (or fresh flat-leaf parsley) stems removed
1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
3-5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Peel your garlic, and place in bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, until garlic is finely diced. Add in fresh herbs and pulse until also diced.

2. Now add in edamame, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Process until smooth.

3. Drizzle in olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides as needed until whole concoction is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust for seasonings.

4. To serve, drizzle more olive oil on top (a la hummus) and serve with an assortment of crackers, chips, and veggies.

I never pre-dice things that are headed for the food processor. I find that, as long as I work in the appropriate order, things work out okay. So I always start with garlic, then herbs, then the rest. If you're feeling a bit fancy, also consider this recipe from Alton Brown. I haven't tried it, but it looks delicious.

Any vegetarian snacks or appetizers up your sleeve? How do you handle the Thanksgiving meal? We are having our first Celebration Roast from Field Roast this year, and I couldn't be more excited. Thanks for checking in today!