The flavor of fresh fava beans and olives shines through this vegan and healthy Mediterranean salad which can also be made into a fava spread!
This Mediterranean salad with fresh fava beans, olives, and croutons is a simple and tasty way to enjoy fava beans which happen to be in season for a few months usually starting from April.
Like most legumes, fava beans are rich in plant-based protein and dietary fiber and are very low in fat, something that makes them an excellent food, not only for those who watch their weight or just like to eat healthy, but for everyone!
Except for the salad recipe, at the end of this post (at the notes section of the recipe card) you will also find a recipe for a simple fava spread. You can have this spread for breakfast, snack, or even make hor d'oeuvres and serve them to your guests before dinner 🙂
The only reason for this post was because I wanted to let the world know (OK, maybe this is an exaggeration and maybe the world already knows) that you can (and should!) eat fresh fava beans either completely raw or briefly boiled.
This is a great snack or salad for Lent, but since this year Easter was a little early fava beans were not in season yet. For me, the best way to eat them is with an extra large slice of bread and lots of olives.
I sit on the table, open a big fava pod and take out those beautiful colored beans. I bite the top part of the membrane with my teeth, and squeeze with my fingers for the bean to slide out. I then eat it with a piece of bread and an olive. The perfect appetizer or snack!
When it comes to peeling-off the membranes of the beans for the salad, after they're blanched, I stick to the usual tried-and-true method: I cut off a bit of the top with a paring knife, and then pop the bean out just by squeezing it with my fingers.
Note that the membrane of the fava beans is totally edible, so you don’t have to peel it off, especially if the beans are very young and tender. If you’ve never had them before, try it both ways (with the membrane and without) and decide for yourself.
Another recipe we have in Crete for fava beans is to cook them whole with their pods, on the stove, with potatoes, fennel fronds and tomato juice (and sometimes with artichokes). The recipe is similar to this Mediterranean green been stew with potatoes.
Unfortunately, I don’t like them prepared like this, so I’ve never cooked them thus, I can’t give you any recipe. But if anyone is very interested, leave me a comment or send me a message and I can contact my mom who cooks them like that very often. 🙂
When I decided to post this recipe, I remembered my authentic Greek salad 2 ways and thought that it would also be a nice idea to also present this salad in 2 different ways.
The second way is to make it a spread, and the secret ingredient which makes this fava spread tasty is the olive paste (tapenade). If you can’t find ready-made olive paste you can add a few pitted olives in your food processor when you process the fava beans.
The only thing you have to keep in mind is that olives or olive paste can be very salty, so don’t add any extra salt before you taste the end result.
Please read this:
There are some people especially in the Mediterranean region that have an enzyme deficiency. These people, and especially kids, are forbidden to eat Fava beans and take certain medication (among other things). You can read more about G6PD deficiency here.
Some notes/tips:
- You can eat the fava beans raw or briefly boiled. Keep in mind that their texture can range from starchy to creamy depending on how young they are, and that when briefly boiled it’s easier to remove their membrane.
- Substitute boiled potatoes for the bread for a gluten-free option.
- Chopped green onions are a nice addition to this salad.
- Avoid fava beans if you have a G6PD deficiency.
You may also like these similar recipes:
Mayo-less potato & avocado salad with greens
Mediterranean skillet gnocchi with white beans & spinach
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📖 Recipe
Fresh fava bean salad and a fava spread – Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds whole fresh fava beans in their pods (you’ll be left with approximately 1 pound beans)
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped parsley
For the croutons:
- 1 cup bread (in cubes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Brush the bread cubes with the olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Let them cool for 10 minutes. In the meantime, snap the fava pods and collect the fava beans in a bowl.
- Set a medium pot filled with water over high heat and let it come to a boil. Add the fava beans and boil for 1 minute. Drain through a colander and rinse with cold water until fava beans are no longer warm. (You can skip this step if you want them completely raw, but they’ll be a little harder to shell)
- Cut the top of the membrane of each bean with a paring knife and squeeze it out with your fingers. The bean should slide out very easily. Do this with all of the beans.
- Mix the shelled fava beans, the croutons and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
Notes
Optionally, you can add 1 finely chopped green onion.
Avoid fava beans in any form if you have a G6PD deficiency. For the Fava bean spread: Process in your food processor: 1 cup boiled and shelled fava beans, 4 tablespoons e.v. olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ cup parsley, 5-6 spearmint or mint leaves, 1 teaspoon sugar, a pinch of pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh), and 1-2 tablespoons water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive paste into the spread, or keep it separately and spread it on top of the fava spread before serving, if you want it to be two-colored.
Nutrition
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heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
i've never had fava beans before! i've heard how much of a pain they are to prep, so i haven't used them at home, and i don't see them much when i go to restaurants. love that you paired them with kalamatas- i'm a sucker for olives (;
Makos says
Thanks Heather! Fava beans with olives is a must where I'm from! And yes, they require some time to prep, but i prep them while watching TV or YouTube! 🙂
Fran @ G'day Souffle' says
Wow- so many things you could do with Fava beans.Looking at your salad, I feel like maybe adding a poached egg on top- hope that would be OK!
Makos says
Oh, yes! A poached egg is a great idea!
Christina says
I am like Heather, I've never eaten fava beans before but this recipe makes me want to try them NOW!! This recipe looks and sounds outstanding!
Makos says
Thank you Christina!
Mara says
We are also oil free, so I made it without that and without the croutons (laziness on that). This was amazing!
Makos says
Thanks Mara!
I also eat them with plain bread and olives 🙂
Finn Judkins says
TheHungryBites is hands down the best cooking blog anywhere, I have served many friends and family delicious dishes from this very website. As well as this I am grateful to have found http://bit.ly/TheMediterraneanchef which includes recipes even my 6 year old enjoys. I hope all of you find inspiration for cooking and enjoy every single bite!!
Makos says
Thank you Finn!
Karen says
Hi Makos, what a great recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it to those who are eager to learn.
You mentioned that your mom cooks fava beans with fennel fronds and sometimes artichokes, and that you could get the recipe from her. Could I request it?
Thank you again.
Makos says
Thanks Karen!
I will ask the recipe from my mom and I will send it to you via email. Unless you want me to post it here as a comment ☺️
Makos says
Hi again Karen,
this is my moms recipe for fava beans with artichokes.
For 2 persons you will need:
about 1 pound fresh fava beans with their pods
3-4 artichoke hearts
2 fresh green onions
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
the juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 heaped tablespoon flour
1 small bunch fennel fronds (or dill)
.
Method
1. clean and cut the sides of the fava beans to remove the fibers (like you do with regular beans), then cut them into 2-inch pieces and place them in a bowl with water (this preserves their color)
2. In another bowl mix the lemon juice and the flour and then add 3 cups of water. Clean the artichokes and remove all of their leaves. Cut the hearts in quarters and add them to the bowl with the lemon+water+flour.
3.Heat a pot over medium heat and add the olive oil and the green onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain the fave beans, add them to the pot and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Remove the artichokes from the bowl and add them to the pot (keep the lemon-water aside). Also add the fennel (or dill) salt and pepper. Add some of the lemon-water-flour mixture so that it just covers the food. Let the mixture come to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook covered for 30-45 minutes or until the fava beans are cooked through (check them by piercing them with a fork). If needed add some more lemon-water during cooking, but keep in mind that at the end of cooking the food should be left with a thick sauce.
Good luck!