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This fresh buttery fava bean recipe / broad bean recipe is vibrant and healthy. This recipe shows how to to shell broad beans from the pod, take off the primary shell sheath on each individual bean, and easily cook the fava beans with olive oil and / or butter.
"Fava Beans, Liver, and a nice Chianti" - Hannibal Lecter's off his meds and eating what he wants. 🙂
Vegans can switch from butter to olive oil or a non-dairy alternative for cooking / preparing this broad bean recipe.
What are Fava Beans?
Fava beans are beans. They are also known as broad beans, faba beans, field beans, or horse beans.
Broad beans come in a large long leathery inedible pod (see picture above or watch the video). The inside of the leathery pod is soft and furry.
There is an additional sheath around each individual bean that generally needs to be gently peeled off after cooking and before eating. The edible bean is shown when the sheath is removed.
In some sense, fava or broad beans have a double pod that needs to be removed before eating them.
Having said that, the very small broad beans are so tender that they can be eaten with the sheath on after boiling. However, the larger fava beans have a fibrous tough outer sheath that needs to be peeled before eating.
How To Cook Broad Beans / Fava Beans
Follow the pictures and instructions or watch the instructional video for how to get broad beans / fava beans out of the initial leathery pod, cook them, and peel them from the second "shell" or sheath.
Fava beans can be eaten after being boiled or cooked again with a little butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. They also make a great addition to any soup or salad.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt.
• Shell the leathery fava bean pods to reveal the individual beans.
• Place individual fava beans in boiling water for ~ 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water or shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and cool beans down to be able to work with them.
• Peel the broad beans outer skin sheath by gently tearing into the outer layer and squeezing the bean through the protective coating.
• Bring a pan to medium high heat and add butter and olive oil. When butter is melted, add the fava beans and cook ~ 4 minutes or until tender.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Substitutions for Fava Beans
Can't find fava beans / broad beans for this recipe? Use lima beans (also known as butter beans) instead. Both are creamy large beans. Shelled edamame is also a great substitute for broad beans.
Fava beans hold a special place in my heart because you have to put in the work to get the buttery taste and see that beautiful color. The pod is furry inside and soft to the touch, making shelling broad beans a sensory experience.
The reason fava bean recipes aren't on restaurant menus is because they are labor intensive. NOW - don't be scared of putting in the work! Give it a go and eat fava beans slowly to really appreciate and contemplate mother natures work.
Fava Bean / Broad Bean Recipe FAQS
Can you eat the skin of fava beans?
You can not eat the leathery pod shell of the beans. You can eat the shell sheath that covers the actual bean IF the fava bean is young and tender. Otherwise, take off the shell sheath and cook for a couple minutes or until soft.
Are broad beans and fava beans the same thing?
Yup! Different words for the same thing.
What do fava beans taste like?
Fava beans / broad beans are mild, creamy, earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet.
What can I substitute for broad beans or fava beans in recipes?
Substitute lima beans or shelled edamame for fava beans.
Can I make this fava bean recipe without butter.
Yes! This fava bean recipe can be made vegan by using your favorite non-dairy substitute.
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 ½ lbs fava beans in pod, (~ 2 cups shelled)
• 1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
• salt
• pepper
Instructions
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a generous (2 tsp) amount of salt.
• Shell the furry fava bean pods to reveal the bean.
• Place individual beans in boiling water for ~ 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water or shock in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
• Peel the fava beans outer skin sheath by gently tearing into the outer layer and squeezing the bean through the protective coating. This will reveal the beautiful bright green bean.
• You can eat this as is now in salads or soups but for this recipe we're going to cook them a little more.
•Bring a pan to medium high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
When butter is melted, add the fava beans and cook ~ 4 minutes or until desired tenderness.
•Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! Beckie
