Recently I fell in love with the Fava Bean. Fava beans are very high in protein and are the national dish of Egypt.
Cassoulets are beans that are slow cooked with meats and vegetables to produce a rich broth and tasty beans. Here I’ve reproduced that process, and added a few flavorful items to brighten up the dish, and removed the meat from the recipe.
Try it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.
It might be a bit of a treasure hunt to find Fava Beans. It took me about a week looking in a fairly large market to find this delicious legume.
Here’s the recipe, and as always, open to interpretation.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried Fava beans soaked in 6 cups water overnight
- 6 cups vegetable broth, fresh or store bought
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 3-4 garlic* cloves rough chopped
- 1/8 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ cups small diced white onion
- 1 ½ cups small diced carrot
- 1 ½ cups small diced zucchini
- 1 cup mushrooms of your choice
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- A handful of herbs (thyme, oregano, sage)
Process
Cook the Fava beans in the vegetable broth, with cumin, garlic and lemon juice.
Heat oil in a sturdy stock pot. Add carrots and onions. Saute until tender. Add mushrooms, cook 3-4 more minutes, and then add the zucchini.
Stir in Fava beans and any other legumes you might have that are cooked (I added chickpeas). Add enough water/stock for a good broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Let cook for 2-3 hours. Add spinach and herbs near the end of the cooking.
Serve with crusty bread, or gluten-free tortillas.
*Substitute Ginger for the Garlic, makes for a great base in this dish.
Sounds wonderful. Fava beans are very tasty, but they will always be linked in my mind with a certain Dr. Lecter.
You should try the falafel I made for tonight, part chickpeas, and part fava beans.
I missed the whole Hannibal thing, so no negative associations.
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