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15 Fava Bean Recipes You Need to Try This Spring

15 Fava Bean Recipes You Need to Try This Spring

It’s time to get better acquainted with favas! An ancient member of the pea family, they have a nutty taste and buttery texture all their own. Click through for our favorite recipes featuring favas.

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Fava Bean Basics

They do take a bit of work -- fava beans have to be shelled, and unless they’re extremely small, the individual beans will have an outer skin that needs to be removed as well -- but they're deliciously worth it.

In Season: Peak season for fava beans is late March through early May.

What to Look For: Seek out sturdy green pods with a velvety fuzz. Avoid any with slimy brown spots or overly large beans.

How to Store: Refrigerate for up to one week.

How to Prep: For most recipes, you’ll blanch and peel the beans: Remove beans from pods, and cook in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water. Remove the skins.

Learn the trick to peeling fava beans in our how-to video.

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Fava Beans with Snap Peas and Mint

John Kernick

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Celebrate spring with this twist on minted peas -- swap them out for snap peas and fava beans and keep the butter and fresh mint.

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Roast Chicken with Fava Beans

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Roast chicken pan juices mingle with thyme, roasted garlic, and buttery favas to form a beautiful foundation for this comforting skillet dinner.

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Asparagus and Fava Beans with Toasted Almonds

Christopher Testani

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Two of spring's stars come together in this dish. This recipe makes a modest amount of favas go a long way, for maximum effect: sprinkled over blanched asparagus, topped with a lemony dressing, and finished with toasted almonds. The end result is one standout side.

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Fava Bean Soup

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This simple, velvety soup is accented with the umami tang of Parmesan cheese.

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Grilled Fava Beans

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Never grilled beans before? Your guests will be delighted by this deliciously charred, shell-it-yourself appetizer.

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Spring Vegetable Ragout

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Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese add a bright zing to this brilliant green vegetarian ragout of asparagus, sugar snap peas, radishes, and herbs. Serve over pasta, polenta, or tortellini to make it a main dish.

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Fava Bean, Mint, and Pecorino Romano Bruschetta

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A hint of spice from crushed red pepper adds a lively edge to mild, creamy fava beans in this mix.

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Fava Beans Over Chicken

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Gussy up plain poached chicken with favas simmered in a mixture of chicken stock, cream, and sauteed leeks.

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Spring Salad with Fava Beans

Anna Williams

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Favas add intrigue to a simple green salad made with frisee, baby spinach, carrots, goat cheese, and a white-wine vinaigrette.

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Fava Bean and Goat Cheese Dip with Radishes

Johnny Miller

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Fava beans and radishes, two colorful harbingers of spring, combine in this brightly flavored appetizer.

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Fava Bean Salad with Roasted-Garlic Vinaigrette

Eugenie Verdel

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Fava beans unite with fresh corn kernels, cucumber, red onion, and feta in a garlicky walnut dressing for a party-worthy side dish.

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Ravioli Stuffed with Fava Beans, Ricotta, and Mint with Brown-Butter Sauce

Gentl & Hyers

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Pockets of fresh pasta hold a creamy bounty of fresh ricotta, nutty fava beans, and a hint of mint.

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Asparagus, Artichoke, and Fava Bean Salad

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The trifecta of asparagus (green and white!), artichokes, and favas is the star of this spring salad. A bright, citrusy buttermilk dressing ties the flavors together beautifully.

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Pasta with Mint Pesto and Fava

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Turkey and pancetta meatballs add a hearty note to this pasta dish bursting with the fresh flavors of spring.

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Fava Bean, Parmesan, and Almond Salad

Maria Robledo

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Team earthy favas with toasted almonds, nutty Parmesan, fresh mint, and a simple lemon-and-oil dressing for a sensational crostini topping.

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