15 Flavorful Fava Bean Recipes That Taste Like Spring

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on July 21, 2023

Smashed Fava Beans Toast with Pecorino and Mint Recipe — Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

The arrival of fava beans ranks right up there with beautiful blooms and warmer weather in our reasons to anticipate spring. Young, tender favas — also called broad beans — lend themselves to all kinds of culinary applications, from pureeing into hummus to topping toasts and simmering in soups. Whether you choose lemony charred fava bean salad, beer-braised chicken stew with fava beans, or another of these dishes, you can't go wrong with any of our favorite fava bean recipes.

01 of 15

Asparagus and Fava Bean Tart with Herbed Ricotta

Asparagus and Fava Bean Tart with Herbed Ricotta — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Lemon zest and thyme add subtle fragrance to this show-stopping tart's ricotta filling, balancing the savory Parmesan and prosciutto. Gently pressing on the par-baked pastry while spreading the filling is key to creating a crisp crust.

02 of 15

Ricotta-Fava Toasts

Ricotta-Fava Toasts Recipe — Eva Kolenko

The delicate, milky flavor of fresh ricotta pairs with the grassy, lightly sweet taste of fava beans. Use best-quality cheese, produce, and bread here for a toast that’s more than the sum of its parts.

03 of 15

Smashed Fava Beans on Toast with Pecorino and Mint

Smashed Fava Beans Toast with Pecorino and Mint Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

"Fava beans are one of spring’s most coveted ingredients, and my favorite way of preparing them is to smash them with mint and pecorino into a chunky spread for topping toast," says recipe developer Andrea Slonecker. "Once the favas are blanched and shelled, the spread comes together in mere minutes. It makes a fine snack to start a party, but perch a poached egg on top and you’ve got breakfast or lunch."

04 of 15

Salt-Cured Duck Breasts with Fava Beans and Sweet Peas

Salt-Cured Duck Breasts with Fava Beans & Sweet Peas — © Chris Court

Chef Anne Quatrano has a simple trick for making these duck breasts juicy and flavorful: Just a few hours before pan-roasting, she rubs them with a fresh herb and salt mix, which lightly cures the meat.

05 of 15

Yakitori Morels with Fava Bean Hummus

Yakitori Morels with Fava Bean Hummus — © Abby Hocking

Boston chef Mary Dumont’s grilled peak-of-spring fresh morel and fiddlehead skewers are served on a swath of fava hummus with a pungent furikake topper.

06 of 15

Fava Bean and Cauliflower Risotto

Fava Bean and Cauliflower Risotto — © John Kernick

This lovely risotto is finished with a cauliflower and fava puree, which makes it extra creamy. To serve, drizzle it with olive oil and pass more Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.

07 of 15

Fava Bean Pasta e Fagioli

Fava Bean Pasta e Fagioli — © Paul Costello

Chef Mike Lata's spring version of pasta e fagioli, the Italian soup, uses fresh fava beans in place of borlotti or cannellini beans, along with meaty bits of bacon and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

08 of 15

Spiced Chicken Thighs with Fava Puree and Yogurt

Spiced Chicken Thighs with Fava Puree and Yogurt — © Con Poulos

Chef Ignacio Mattos arranges crisp chicken thighs on a velvety hummus made from dried fava beans, not chickpeas.

09 of 15

Spring Vegetable Stew

Spring Vegetable Stew. Photo © Anna Williams — © Anna Williams

When fresh fava beans are available, use them in place of the cranberry beans. The stew is wonderful served with buttery spaetzle.

10 of 15

Charred Fava Bean Salad with Lemon and Tarragon

Charred Fava Bean Salad with Lemon and Tarragon — © Lucy Schaeffer

It's hard to grill tiny favas without professional equipment, but the sweet-starchy beans get a similar smoky flavor when they're charred quickly in a hot skillet. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten tosses the charred beans with garlic, jalapeño, tarragon, and cubes of cheese for a warm salad.

11 of 15

Spring Peas and Greens with Cacio e Pepe Dressing

Spring Peas and Greens with Cacio e Pepe Dressing — © Johnny Miller

Inspired by cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), the classic Italian pasta sauce, this salad features spring greens and fava beans topped with a delicious buttermilk dressing.

12 of 15

Fennel and Fava Bean Salad

Fennel-and-Fava-Bean Salad — © John Kernick

Vintner Jayson Woodbridge uses wild fennel for this tangy, crunchy salad, but regular supermarket fennel works perfectly well, too.

13 of 15

Beer-Braised Chicken Stew with Fava Beans and Peas

Beer-Braised Chicken Stew with Fava Beans and Peas — © John Kernick

Chef Paul Kahan braises chicken thighs in beer to make an excellent spring stew that he (naturally) pairs with more beer, such as Pere Jacques from Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company, a Belgian-style ale full of caramelized malt flavors.

14 of 15

Grilled Fava Bean Pods with Chile and Lemon

Grilled Fava Bean Pods with Chile and Lemon — © John Kernick

"Trust me," says chef Nate Appleman about this unorthodox recipe. He quickly grills whole fava beans, tosses them with a crushed red pepper dressing, and serves them hot. They can be eaten whole — the tender pods develop a lovely charred flavor on the grill — but it's also easy to eat them in the traditional way by popping the beans out of their pods and outer skins.

15 of 15

Artichoke Custards with Fava Bean Sauce

Artichoke Custards with Fava Bean Sauce — © Martin Morrell

In an homage to spring, cookbook author and fine Italian food importer Rolando Beramendi makes these lush custards with fresh artichokes; the flavor is wonderfully vivid.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Related Articles

Hearty Mexican Cranberry Beans

Saucy White Beans and Greens on Toast

30 Canned Beans Recipes We Love

Joe Yonan Cool Beans | Don't Soak Your Beans

Wait, There's Actually No Need to Soak Your Beans

Season Your Dry Beans

The Simplest, Most Delicious Way to Cook Dried Beans

Card Placeholder Image

Winter White Bean Soup

Lalo's Cacahuate Beans Recipe | Cool Beans

Bored of Beans? Simmer Them In Sofrito

Clay Pot Red Chile Beans Recipe

Clay-Pot Red Chile Beans

Smokey beans and greens

These Days, I'm All About Beans and Greens

Card Placeholder Image

Cannellini Beans

Chunky White Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Salami

Chunky White Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Salami

Kale and White Bean Stew

Kale and White Bean Stew

This Man Will Get You So Amped Up About Beans

Card Placeholder Image

Spiced Pinto Beans with Chorizo

Warm White Bean and Calamari Salad with Garlic Bruschetta

Warm White Bean and Calamari Salad with Garlic Bruschetta

Black Beans and Rice

Gallo Pinto (Black Beans & Rice)

Asturian Pork and Beans

Asturian Pork and Beans