Portions: 6 servings Calories: 480kcal |
This is one of my favorite fava beans recipes, a fava and bacon salad that can be also served as a side dish, or a simple meal in itself. It's also perfect for potlucks, as it can be served at room temperature and keeps very well.
By - Revised . Original Aug 13, 2013.
Fava Beans and Bacon Salad Recipe.
Why we ❤️ it
- The perfect recipe for serving fava beans in the summer, a dish that can be served at room temperature and requires little work.
- Nutritious and filling, you can serve this fava bean salad as a main course at a summer meal, or as a side salad for a more substantial meal.
- It's a versatile dish to which you can add more vegetables that you like.
Fava Beans and Bacon Salad Recipe
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry fava beans, or broad beans, or 4 cups of boiled or canned fava beans
- Ice water, to cool the beans
- 8 ounces bacon, [227 g]
- 1 large white onion, sliced thinly
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoon salt, (or more, to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly-cracked, or ground, (or more, to taste)
- A handful of minced parsley, or green onions to garnish
Preparation
1. How to boil dry fava beans
- ⚠️ Jump to step 2 if you use canned beans- Soaking fava beans: In a large bowl, soak the beans for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Rinse and discard the water.- Boiling fava beans: Boil the favas until the beans are tender (test by pinching one), and the skin starts to become loose (this will depend on the freshness and quality of the beans and may take up to 40 minutes).- Peeling fava beans: Remove the beans from the heat and drain the boiling water. Pour the beans into a bowl of ice water. Let the beans cool to room temperature. Once cooled, discard the cold water.Press each bean between your thumb and finger to break out of the hard skin as it opens in the seam. Discard the skins.
2. Browning the bacon
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and once heated add the bacon to it.Cook stirring until the edges are browned (3-5 minutes). Discard the bacon fat.
3. Cooking the onion
- Lower temperature to medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook stirring until the onion turns translucent (about 2 minutes).
4. Cooking beans
- Stir in the fava beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes and cook stirring until it is just heated through (about 1 minute).Pour in the vinegar, olive oil and cook stirring for another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the parsley.
5. Serving
- Serve at room temperature. Put extra vinegar or lemon juice on the table for those who prefer it more sour.
Top tips
- Canned beans: To speed up preparation time, use canned or jarred beans and skip to step 2.
- Other ingredients: You can add extra ingredients such as sweet corn, grated Parmesan cheese, and even leftover rice if you prefer.
- Other options: To make it faster, you can use canned edamame.
You can also add diced boiled potatoes along with the beans in step 4.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side dish, as a summer-friendly dinner or a mid-afternoon snack.
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Every time I find some fresh fava beans at the grocery store I take some to make this dish, but I recently discovered that dried fava beans or canned fava beans are nearly equally as good, and they're much less work.
We grew fava beans in our backyard when I was a kid, and made it into a rice and beans dish, but there's so much more than can be made with it. This recipe includes so many flavors that rather than compete, complement each other.
Fava beans are called habas in Spanish.
What do fava beans taste like?
It is one of the mildest-tasting beans; it has a harder skin, but a creamy inside.
Do you need to soak them beforehand?
If you are cooking dry fava beans it is best to soak them before cooking to loosen the skin. Fava has a tough skin, unlike most legumes, so it's best to remove them.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
What a great idea!
Me gustan las habas, la voy a probar.