With fava season winding down, I'm finding every excuse I can to try new ways to prepare them... so when our friend Chriss dropped in for a mini-marathon of Lost, I decided this was just the excuse I needed to try out a new dip.
Like most dips, it's ideal for entertaining, since there's very little prep required aside from shelling, blanching and peeling the favas. And if you happen to be one of those people who's extremely organized and prepared, that's something you can easily do a day or two in advance.
Other than that, it's just a matter of dropping everything into a food processor and pressing a few buttons until you've achieved deliciousness.
Everything about this dip just screams spring to me.
For one, it's a beautiful shade of pale emerald green that my mind immediately associates with spring.
The flavour is lively and fresh, courtesy of the yogurt and dill, with an ever so slight bitterness from the fresh favas, and loads of sharp garlic to wake up any tastebuds that are still stuck in a winter rut.
Pair it with a crisp white wine and you've got yourself a great starter for an al fresco spring meal (as long as your date isn't a vampire, that is).
Oh, and did I mention how fresh it is?
When favas aren't in season, you can use canned favas or cooked dried favas instead.
The canned (or dried) beans will give the dip a yellowish-brown colour, which I'll admit isn't nearly as appealing as the glorious pale green you get from fresh favas, but it's plenty delicious nonetheless. Just remember... beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or the tastebuds of the eater, as the case may be).
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Fresh Fava Bean Dip
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This fresh and lively dip comes together in a snap, and combines slightly bitter fresh favas with bright dill, Greek yogurt and loads of sharp garlic to wake your tastebuds up from their winter rut.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shelled fresh fava beans
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the favas for about 5 minutes, or until bright green and tender. Drain, then plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
- Once the favas are cool enough to handle, carefully peel off and discard the tough, leathery skins around the beans.
- Using a food processor, finely chop the garlic. Add the blanched favas, yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil, and process until you have a smooth puree. It will probably seem a bit runny, but don't panic - the dip will thicken up as it stands.
- Add dill and pulse until dill is finely chopped and mixed throughout. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, spoon the dip into a pretty bowl, drizzle with a little good-quality olive oil, and bring to the table with a pile of toasted pita wedges for dipping (or, if you're feeling ambitious, shards of homebaked lavash).
Notes
If you can't find fresh fava beans, you can use the dried or canned variety, though your dip come out a yellow-brown colour instead of the vibrant green you get from fresh favas.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
easy-salad-recipe says
Yum!
parkslopekitchen says
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it....
Federica says
ciao ti scrivo perchè collaboro con l'azienda Ariosto la quale mi chiede questo:
Ariosto company is looking COOKING BLOG in
USA UK GERMANY CANADA BELGIUM to send free samples of seasonings in exchange of recipes.
For information write to [email protected] and visit http://www.ariosto.it
scusa ma non sò l'inglese!!ciao!
Isabelle says
Vivianne, I've seen frozen limas and frozen edamame, but never ever have I seen frozen favas... I'll have to call around and see if anyone in my area actually carries them. (Then again, I wonder if I would appreciate favas quite as much if I could get them year-round...)
Viviane Bauquet Farre / Food & Style says
Isabelle... I adore fava beans! The season has not started for us yet, but I'll eagerly be peeling them when it does. I love your recipe: it's all about fava! Have you ever tried frozen fava beans when they are not in season?
Viviane Bauquet Farre / Food & Style says
Isabelle... I adore fava beans! The season has not started for us yet, but I'll eagerly be peeling them when it does. I love your recipe: it's all about fava! Have you ever tried frozen fava beans when they are not in season?
wannafoodie says
I love it! I enjoy hummus but it is so nice to mix it up a bit without going completely down a cheese laden, overly heavy dip. I too hope that I can find some fava beans!
Isabelle says
Thanks for all the lovely comments, everyone. I'm feeling the love. :)
Linda, I'm pretty sure edamame would work very nicely as a substitute (as would shelled sweet peas, for that matter).
The flavour will be a little different because favas tend to have a slight bitterness, while edamame have a more generic "bean" sort of taste. I'm sure it would be delicious, though... if you do get around to trying that variation, I'd love to know how it turns out!
M, you'd be surprised how easy it is to shelled favas. I was terribly daunted by it too (especially because you have to do it twice! *gasp*), but once you've gotten the hang of it, it takes no time at all to slit the skins and pop out the beans. I actually find it relaxing, in a zen sort of way. :)
Cilantropist, hope you managed to score some favas. If your neighbourhood isn't overrun by little old ladies like mine is, you might actually stand a chance! (All the good favas had been picked over by the time I got to the greengrocer the other day... sigh)
Ciao Chow Linda says
This sounds delicious and looks beautiful. Would it work or taste as good with edamame beans?
M. says
this looks super yummy....just all that work with shelling favas scares me ;)
Noelle says
Lovely recipe and colors!
The Cilantropist says
Oh this sounds awesome, everything about it (including the color). I hope I can still get some fava beans before it is too late!
denise @ quickies on the dinner table says
Green, green, GREEN!! God I love that colour on my plate! This is gorgeous and really pretty simple! Love the wine suggestion and the seeded flatbreads make me want to reach into the screen!