FAVA BEAN: Wonderful hidden flavor
Fresh fava beans are an early growing season treat unknown to most American cooks. One of the oldest cultivated vegetables; favas are mentioned in the Bible and have been enjoyed since antiquity.

What are fava beans? While called beans, favas are actually in the pea family and prefer cooler growing climates. Also known as broad beans and horse beans, they grow in pods ranging 5 to 12 inches long. The whole pod can be cooked and eaten when the beans are very young and small. As they mature, the pod and the tough skin surrounding the bean must be removed. Nutritional value. A real nutritional powerhouse, favas are a first-rate source of protein, vitamins A, B and C; iron; potassium and fiber. Some people have an allergic reaction to mature favas. If you never have tasted fava beans, start with a small portion.

Selecting fresh fava beans. Choose heavy, full pods that have good color and few blemishes. The blemishes appear quickly after picking but should not affect the bean inside unless it’s heavily spotted. Feel the pod to confirm that they are full, as the pods are deceptive, appearing swollen even when empty.

Storing fresh favas. Keep fresh favas in the pod, wrapped in plastic, and store in the high-moisture vegetable crisper until ready to use. The beans will last well over a week but are best when used within four days.

General uses. Fava beans can be enjoyed “naked” with a little butter or olive oil, made into soups, added to stews, served chilled as a salad, braised or made into purées. Favas make a wonderful accompaniment to meats or when combined with other compatible flavors and garnishes. The herb savory is the classic seasoning for the beans. For movie buffs: They pair well with a good Chianti.

Preparation. Do not be deceived by the size of the pods, as there are only 4 or 5 beans in each pod. Figure 1-2 pounds of pods per individual serving. Open the pod and remove the beans. Peel the bean raw or plunge the beans into boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then remove and drop in an ice-water bath.
When cool, drain and then easily remove the tough outer skin. Although it is not necessary, a further refinement in the preparation would be to remove the sprout as well. The beans can now be prepared in numerous ways. A simple way is to cook the peeled beans for a few more minutes in boiling salted water, then sauté in a little whole butter with salt and pepper.

Classic Fava Bean Soup
This recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy the mild, unique flavor of fava beans. For more culinary refinement, the soup can be strained and finished with a touch of cream and whole butter before serving. Unstrained, this recipe will yield about 4 cups and strained, about 2 cups. Developed by Edward Janos for The Denver Post, this recipe serves 2-4.

2 cups shelled and peeled fava beans (approximately 4 lbs whole pods)
1 tbsp whole butter
1 oz bacon, minced (approximately 1 slice thick-cut bacon)
1 cup small diced onion (approximately 1/2 medium (12 oz) onion)
1/4 cup carrot, peeled and minced (approximately 1/3 of a medium carrot)
1/2 tsp garlic minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 sprig fresh savory or tsp dried
3 sprigs fresh parsley, preferably flat leaf
1 cup packed cleaned spinach leaves (2 oz)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
2 tbsps butter, optional

Remove beans from pod. Drop beans in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Remove and shock in ice water. When cool, remove tough skin around beans. Save 1/2 cup of the best beans, germ removed, for garnishing the soup.
Melt the butter in a small soup or saucepot over low heat. Add the minced bacon and cook slowly to render the bacon. When the bacon is halfway cooked, add the onion and carrot and continue to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the onion and carrot are softened, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the stock, peeled fava beans, a couple turns of pepper, a pinch of salt and the savory. Simmer over very low flame until the favas are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the parsley sprigs and simmer an additional minute.
Remove soup from heat and stir in the spinach leaves. Puree the soup in a blender or in a food processor until nice and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain or leave as is, depending on preference. Add reserved beans for garnish.
Finish with heavy cream and butter, if desired. Serve with bread croutons fried in butter or crusty bread.

back to top