Fava beans / Broad beans
Vicia faba
Similar veggies:
Peas
A quick introduction
Fava beans are actually one of the oldest-known cultivated plants. It is a common ingredient in many cuisines from around the world including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America, and Africa. The pods of this bean are bright green and contain large, flat, light green beans. You can shell the bean by popping it at the top and bottom and running your finger through it. In some cuisines, the bean is then peeled a second time by removing the thick outer layer to reveal the soft inner core. Fava beans can be used both fresh and dried. In their fresh state they sometimes even eaten raw. Fava beans have a fresh taste of spring, with some grassy and vegetal notes.
Storage
Fava beans will keep fine for a few days in a paper bag in the fridge
Season
Late spring
Suggestions for preparation
Many fava bean recipes call for the beans to be 'double shelled' which means that you remove the individual beans from their pale outer 'shell'. The easiest way to do this is by boiling the beans for a few minutes after which the inner beans can be squeezed out of their jackets. This procedure makes the beans taste more delicate but it is also lot of work and we often feel too lazy to do it (they still taste very nice without double shelling them). Smaller fava beans can even be eaten raw. A simple Italian pairing is raw fava beans with small pieces of fresh pecorino cheese: mix the two, add some olive oil and salt, and your simple springtime salad is ready!
Recipes
If you feel adventurous and would like to try using the pods of the fava beans in your cooking as well: try this simple recipe for fried bean pods, this recipe for grilled fava pods, or this one for braised whole fava bean pods.
Or try this pasta with almond & basil pesto and fava beans.