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Cooked fava beans in a bowl

How To Cook Fava Beans

How To Cook Fava Beans is a step-by-step tutorial on the process involved in cooking fava beans.  They're tender, creamy, and one of spring's finest offerings!
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound fava beans in their pod
  • pinch of salt

Instructions 

  • Pull back on the tip of the pod, and "unzip" it, opening the pod and removing the beans. Alternately, you can use the tip of a paring knife to gently open the pod along the seam, being careful not to cut the beans. You will have roughly one cup of fava beans after shelling.
  • Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil, and fill a small bowl with ice water and set aside. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the water, and add the fava beans. Turn down the heat and simmer at a gentle boil for 1 minute. Drain immediately and pour the beans into the ice water to stop the cooking process.
  • Drain the beans and gently squeeze from the waxy outer skin. The bean are now ready for your pastas, soups, salads, and purees!

Video

Notes

  • 1 pound of fava beans yields 1 cup shelled.
  • Shell fava beans and freeze uncooked in the protective skin for up to 6 months, thawed slightly and cooked as directed.  The beans won't be as green but they're just as delicious.
  • Once the skins are removed, beans may be kept in an airtight container for a few days until you're ready to use them, or frozen.
  • If making a puree, the fava beans may be boiled for a total of 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of the beans) before removing the skins for a creamier texture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 6mg, Potassium: 304mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 17IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!