FAVA BEAN SPREAD {Vegan}

During summer, one of my favorite side dishes is Fava Bean Spread.  The Fava Bean, or fève en français, are very high in protein, and energy as in other beans and lentils.  These little beans are rich in dietary fiber and phyto-nutrients.  Whenever I see them at the farmer’s market between March and June, and sometimes July, although it depends where in the world you are, I never miss an opportunity.  Here in Paris, our go-to on Sundays is Marché Alibert.

It’s a bit time consuming in terms of preparation, but it’s worth the wait, and once prepared, can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups Fava Beans (shelled)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 tsps lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsps fresh thyme
1/2 cup of cold-pressed olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper*

Toppings:
shallots (finely chopped)
chopped basil
dried wildflowers

* Note: My favorite pepper is from Cambodia!  Here’s a great article I stumbled on at Serious Eats about the world’s best pepper!

METHOD

Empty the peas of about 2 pounds worth of beans.
Add to a pot of boiling water and cook for 4-5 mins. Set your timer as you don’t want them to overcook
Immediately add to a bowl of ice water.  Once cooled, you need to remove the outer shell of the bean, which is a smaller bright green bean and this is what you will use for the spread.
Add to a blender, along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  I like to use the least amount of olive oil possible so I start with 1/4 cup and then add as needed.

Living in Paris, I have some great boulangeries in my neighborhood, but one of my favorites for une tradicion is Liberté.