Recipes

Mint and Fava Bean Salad

This is one of my favorite Spring salads. I first had it at Morandi in the West Village several years ago and have been making it ever since.  The hardest part?  Sourcing the beans.  You can buy them fresh from Eataly or frozen from Buon Italia in Chelsea Market.  They are seasonal, so grab them now. If you’re not in New York, check out the freezer section of your grocery store – you might be in luck.

Once you have the beans, it’s the simplest recipe in the world.  Cook, cool and toss with mint, greens and optional parmesan cheese. Drizzle with EVOO and lemon juice and you’re done!

If you purchase too many fresh fava beans try Hedi Swanson’s rustic grilled fava beans with EVOO and salt. Delicious!

Photo Credit: taniacaveneciatorres.blogspot.com

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of fava beans, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 meyer lemon
  • fresh mint
  • organic greens
  • 1/4 cup of shaved parmesan cheese
  • sea salt & pepper
  • EVOO

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add shelled fava beans and cook till tender about 3-4 minutes. While cooking, make the dressing – mix the juice of half a lemon, EVOO, sea salt and pepper.

Once cooked, shock fava beans in an ice water bath. Allow to cool then remove the outer shell of the fava bean to reveal a vibrant green bean.

Add to organic greens with fresh mint and parmesan cheese. Drizzle in the dressing, toss and serve.