Greek Fava (Yellow Split Pea Recipe)

📋 Greek Fava Ingredients

To make this yellow split pea puree, you'll need the following ingredients:

Yellow split peas: This recipe will work with most varieties, but you'll get the tastiest results if you use yellow split peas from the "Lathouri" variety. Santorini island is famous for this kind of peas, but they're also cultivated in other areas.

Carrot: It mellows the taste of peas and gives sweetness and depth of flavor.

Onion: You can use red, white or sweet onion.

Thyme: This is optional, as it is not traditionally used, but it complements the taste of yellow split peas perfectly.

🥣 Variations

• Yellow split pea puree is traditionally served with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and caramelized onions (this way it's called "padremeni" which means married in Greek). Thick slices of Greek village bread (Horiatiko) and black olives or capers are the perfect accompaniments.
• To make it more filling, I like to serve it with easy sauteed mushrooms (the process is included in the recipe card at the end of this post).
• You can also serve it as a Greek fava dip with plenty of homemade pita bread and vegetable sticks.
• If you're making this Greek dish for Clean Monday or Lent, pair it with 1-2 slices of Lagana bread!

🔪 How to Make Greek Fava

Follow this easy step by step guide to make the best yellow split puree every time:

1. Transfer the yellow split peas to a large sieve, rinse very well with water and drain. Chop or grate the onion and the carrot.

2. In a large, deep pot, add the olive oil and the yellow split peas and toast over medium/high heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the peas start to smell nutty and sweet.

3. Add the onion and the carrot and continue stirring for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and glossy.

4. Add the salt, the black pepper, the bay leaves, the water and the thyme and bring to a boil.

5. When it starts to boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to a very slow simmer and cook for 50 minutes.

Don't stir the fava during cooking, especially towards the end, because it will stick at the bottom of the pot and it will burn.

6. While the fava is cooking, heat a skillet on high heat, add the olive oil, the mushrooms, the salt, the pepper, the thyme and the garlic clove.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and keep warm.

7. After 50 minutes the fava should be soft and mushy. If you feel it's not soft enough, add a splash of hot water and continue cooking.

When ready, remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until creamy (a food processor will also do). Taste and adjust the seasonings.

If you don't have a food processor or immersion blender, you can let the fava cook a little longer over very low heat until completely mushy. Then you can puree it with a fork (this is how my grandma used to make it!).

8. Serve with the sauteed mushrooms and chopped parsley or caramelized onions and capers. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.

💭 FAQs

📖 Recipe

Greek Fava (Yellow Split Pea Recipe)

Makos

This healthy yellow split pea recipe is known as Fava in Greece. In most households it's served as a main dish but in Greek taverns it's usually served as a dip or spread next to seafood such as octopus or stewed cuttlefish.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 5 servings

Calories 473 kcal

Ingredients

 

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For the Greek Fava:

• ▢ 5 tablespoons (70 g) extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoon for toasting and 2 tablespoon for drizzling at the end.)
• ▢ 2 ¾ cups (500 g) yellow split peas
• ▢ 1 (160 g) onion (chopped or grated)
• ▢ 1 (120 g) carrot (grated)
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ▢ Freshly grated black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 5 cups (1200 g) water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon thyme (or dried oregano or cumin)
• ▢ Extra olive oil for serving

For the sauteed mushrooms:

• ▢ 2 tablespoon (28 g) olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound (459 g) button mushrooms ((or your favorite kind), sliced)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon thyme
• ▢ 1 garlic clove (whole)
• ▢ Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

• Transfer the yellow split peas to a large sieve, rinse very well with water and drain.

  Chop or grate the onion and the carrot.
• In a large, deep pot, add the oil and the yellow split peas and toast over medium/high heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the peas start to smell nutty and sweet.
• Add the onion and the carrot and continue stirring for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and glossy.
• Add the salt, the black pepper, the bay leaves, the water and the thyme and bring to a boil.
• When it starts to boil, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to a very slow simmer and cook for 50 minutes.

  Don't stir the fava during cooking, especially towards the end, because it will stuck at the bottom of the pot.
• While the fava is cooking, heat a skillet on high heat, add the olive oil, the mushrooms, the salt, the pepper, the thyme and the garlic clove.

  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• After 50 minutes the fava should have softened and look mushy. If you feel it needs more time cooking, add a splash of hot water if necessary. When ready, remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until creamy (a food processor will also do, also see note #2). Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Serve with the sauteed mushrooms, a generous drizzle of olive oil and fresh, chopped parsley (alternatively you can serve it with caramelized red onions and capers).

Notes

Note #1: During cooking, you may need to add some more water.

Note #2: If you don't have a food processor or immersion blender, you can let the fava cook a little longer over very low heat until very soft and mushy. The you can puree it with a fork. This is how my grandma used to make it. Just keep in mind to cook it over very low heat otherwise it will stick on the bottom of the pot and burn. 

Note #3: This recipe yields 5 servings as a main dish and 8 or more servings as an appetizer or side.

Note #4: Greek fava can be eaten warm or cold. When cold it will be thicker. If you have any leftover and want to eat it the next day you can reheat it in the microwaves or in the oven. If you want it less thick, you can thin it out using a splash of water.

Note #5: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and black olives or capers are also standard additions. 

Nutrition

Calories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 21gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 674mgPotassium: 366mgFiber: 15gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2070IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg

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