Fresh fava bean salad and a fava spread – Vegan
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.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 302kcal
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
Both croutons and fresh bread work well in this recipe.
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.
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
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg
