Sautéed Fava Beans Recipe Recipe
How to prepare and saute fresh fava beans! This delicious spring-inspired side dish features fresh fava beans, shallots, mint and lemon.
How to Make the Best Sautéed Fava Beans Recipe
Fresh fava beans are one of spring’s greatest treasures, and this simple sautéed fava beans recipe showcases them beautifully. With just a handful of ingredients—shallots, olive oil, lemon, and fresh mint—you can transform these vibrant green legumes into an elegant side dish that pairs wonderfully with grilled fish, roasted chicken, or crusty bread.
The key to this recipe is taking the time to properly prepare the fava beans. While shucking and peeling them requires a bit of patience, the resulting tender, buttery beans are absolutely worth the effort. The blanching step makes removing the tough outer skins much easier, and you can even do this part ahead of time to save yourself work before dinner.
Finished with a shower of fresh mint and shaved Ricotta Salata, this Mediterranean-inspired dish is light, bright, and bursting with spring flavors. Serve it warm as a side dish or at room temperature as part of an antipasto spread—either way, it’s sure to impress.
Sautéed Fava Beans Recipe
How to prepare and saute fresh fava beans! This delicious spring-inspired side dish features fresh fava beans, shallots, mint and lemon.
Ingredients
Fava Beans
To Finish
Instructions
Prepare the Fava Beans
- Shuck the fava beans.
- Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the fava beans for 15-20 seconds, then drain and place in ice water.
- Remove the tough outer peel of the large and medium-sized fava beans, leaving the tiny beans as they are. You will end up with roughly 2 cups. (Allow 20 minutes for this) Tip: you could do this ahead and refrigerate until close to serving time.
Sauté and Serve
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and pepper and sauté 3-4 mins, lowering heat to medium-low, cooking until shallots are tender and golden.
- Add the fava beans and sauté 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes, until fava beans are just tender. Season with lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt to taste. Balance the lemon and salt to your liking.
- Finish the dish with freshly torn mint leaves and shaved cheese.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can prepare the fava beans ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- The tiny fava beans don't need to be peeled—only the larger ones require removing the tough outer skin.
- Ricotta Salata adds a nice salty tang, but pecorino or even feta would work well too.
