How to Prep Broad Beans / Fava Beans
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
27 mins
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Cook Time
3 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
125 kcal
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Course
Side Dish
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Cuisine
American, Middle Eastern, British
How to Prep Broad Beans / Fava Beans
Description
Preparing broad beans starts differently depending on their form. Fresh fava beans are shelled from their pods, boiled for about three minutes, then immediately cooled in iced water to halt cooking. After cooling, each bean is gently squeezed to remove the tough outer skin, leaving the soft, bright green bean ready for recipes. These can be eaten warm or cold depending on the dish.
Dried broad beans need rinsing and soaking in water overnight or for at least eight hours until they swell. A faster method involves boiling for five minutes then soaking for one hour. After soaking, beans are drained, rinsed, and each bean is peeled by gently squeezing off its thick skin. The peeled beans can then be cooked further in dishes.
Fresh broad beans add fresh flavor and a tender texture to diverse meals such as salads, pasta, risotto, quiches, stir-fries, and stews. Cooked dried beans can be mashed for dips, used in falafel, fried for snacks, or integrated into traditional dishes like Egyptian ful madames or Japanese ikari beans.
Ingredients
Preparing Fresh Broad Beans
- 1 lb fava beans fresh, or broad beans
- water
- ice
Preparing Dried Fava Beans
- ½ pound fava beans dried, large
- 5 cups water 1.2 litres
Instructions
For the fresh fava beans
- Remove the beans from the pod.
- Add the beans to a pot of boiling water and boil for 3 minutes.
- Drain, rinse and place the beans into a bowl of iced water. This will stop the beans from cooking.
- Take a bean out of the water, squeeze it gently and the bean will pop out of the pale skin. Discard the skin. Repeat with the remaining beans.
- Use the podded and peeled broad beans as your recipe requires. They can be eaten cold or warm.
For the dried broad beans
- Rinse the dried fava beans well.
- Soak the dried fava beans in the water for 8 hours or overnight. They will expand and grow in size slightly.
- TIP: Make them faster by boiling (use the same beans/water ratio as above) for 5 minutes, then leave to soak for 1 hour.
- Drain and rinse the beans well. Discard the soaking water.
- Peel each bean so they slip out of the skins, by gently squeezing them. Discard the skins. Repeat until you have podded all of the beans.
- Add the podded beans to a large pot and top up with 5 cups (1.2L) of water {the same ratio as soaking}. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for up tp 45 minutes, checking that they're soft towards the end as some will take less time. You want them soft but not mushy. Drain and they're ready to use.
Notes
- For fresh broad beans, boil briefly then rinse in ice water and peel each bean to remove skins before eating or cooking.
- Dried broad beans require soaking for 8 hours or overnight, or a quick soak after boiling, before peeling their skins.
- The peeled broad beans can be used cold or warm in a variety of dishes including risotto, stews, stir-fries, pasta, salads, or mashed into dips.
- Cooked dried broad beans make good ingredients for falafel, fried snacks, or dishes like ful madames and Japanese ikari beans.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 125 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 125kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 22g | 7% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 6mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 304mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 17IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 41mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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