Boiled Fava Beans
Description
Sardinian peasant cuisine is characterized by its simplicity and the use of just a few ingredients, combined in a way that creates flavorful and inviting dishes—like boiled fava beans.
For this recipe, fresh fava beans are recommended, but you can also use dried fava beans. If using dried beans, soak them for 12 hours beforehand, and be aware that they will require a longer cooking time.
Boiled fava beans are a simple yet tasty dish, perfect as a side or even as an original appetizer.
Ingredients
to recalculate the ingredient amounts
- Fresh fava beans 400 g
- Water 400 ml
- Garlic 15 g
- Mint 30 g
- Extra virgin olive oil 40 ml
- Salt 13 g
- Pepper 6 g
Instructions
- 1 Peel and crush the garlic cloves, then sauté them in a large pan with the olive oil and a sprig of fresh mint. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the fava bean pods and open them. Shell the beans by hand and add them to the pan with the garlic and mint, stirring well.
- 2 Add the water, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 3 When cooking is complete, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve the boiled fava beans on plates, garnished with the remaining mint.
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Did You Know?
Fava beans are a versatile and healthy food, one of the most widespread legumes in our region and extensively used in cooking. There is truly nothing simpler or more wholesome than a plate of boiled fava beans.
Easily found during the spring season, they are also available dried throughout the year and can be used in a wide variety of dishes with minimal effort.
Perfect as a main course, both fresh and dried fava beans are also ideal for creating or enhancing delicious side dishes. When small and tender, they can even be eaten raw—combined with carrots, tomatoes, celery, and cucumbers, turning a simple salad into a fresh, inviting, and flavorful dish.
In addition to making delicious purees or mixed vegetable soups, boiled broad beans can be used as a condiment for a delicious pasta dish or risotto .
In this case, after cooking them in a pot of salted water, sauté the beans in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, onion, and salt. Once seasoned, blend the beans with grated cheese and a pinch of pepper until you obtain a smooth and creamy puree.
Finally, the flavor of boiled fava beans pairs beautifully with rich cheeses like caciocavallo, parmesan, and even pecorino. That’s why they’re delicious accompanied, for example, by roasted pecorino and fragrant slices of
carasau bread
.
