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Green Food Energy: Broad Bean aka Fava Bean (Vicia faba)

By Gwen Nyhus Stewart

Bean and Garlic Dip

2 cups (500 mL) broad beans, cooked
1/4 cup (50 mL) mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. (7 mL) ground red chillies
sea salt, to taste
1 dash hot pepper sauce
tortilla chips

Mix all ingredients except tortilla chips. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Broad Bean Pâté

12 oz. (350 g) shelled broad beans
6 oz. approx. (175 g) cream cheese
sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste
sprigs of mint

If the beans are old, remove the skins either before or after cooking. Boil lightly in salted water until tender. Mash or put through a vegetable mill with enough cream cheese to make a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper. Press into individual dishes and garnish each with a sprig of mint. Serve with triangles of toast.

Broad Bean Soup

16 oz. (453.6 g) broad beans
2 1/2 cups (570 mL) vegetable stock
1 tsp. (5 mL) corn starch
1 1/2 tbsp. (22.5 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) cream
2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter
sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Simmer beans and stock until beans are tender (approx. 18 minutes). Purée and put back into the pan. Moisten the corn starch with the water and the cream. Add to purée and return to the boil. Add the butter and blitz with a hand blender. Serve hot.

Fried Fava Beans

fava beans
peanut oil

sea salt, to taste

Soak dry fava beans in water overnight. Remove the white skin and split bean in half. Dry them well on a paper towel. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan, keep heat at medium to low. Add beans and fry them until golden brown. Remove to a plate with a paper towel on it. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Spicy Broad Bean Appetizers

2 cup (500 mL) dry broad beans
1 sprig mint
sea salt, to taste
hot chili pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) sea salt
1 tbsp. (15 mL) peanut oil
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) paprika
1/4 tsp. (1 mL) cumin

Soak beans in water overnight. Place beans in a kettle with mint, salt and enough water to cover beans. Cover and cook until tender. These beans will turn brown when done. Drain beans. In a skillet, add the oil and sauté the onion, garlic and pepper. Add cumin, paprika and salt. Stir and add to beans. Cover and shake kettle, let it stand for a few minutes before serving. Great for appetizers.

See Green Coloured Foods in the Plants, Food Colours, & Recipes section of this web site, and http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca/Recipes.htm for additional information about the healing properties of green, phytonutrients, and recipes.

(See The Healing Garden: A Place Of Peace Chapter 7, Colour and Healing Energy, page 63 for more information about what the colour green means and Chapter 8, Colour Energy, Plants, and Recipes pages 78 - 81 for information about using green in the garden and recipes.)

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