Fava Beans recipe: Traditional recipe of the Greek Fava Santorini (2024)

FAQs

What is Santorini Fava made of? ›

Santorini Fava is a traditional Greek dish made using yellow split peas grown on the island of Santorini. The fava is cooked with onion, garlic, and olive oil and blended to make a smooth, creamy puree.

Contrary to what you might think from the name, Greek fava is not made from fava beans (broad beans). Instead, the word fáva (φάβα) in Greek actually refers to yellow split peas, which are cultivated on the island of Santorini and are the starring ingredient in this yellow split pea dip.

Most will have it as a side laid around many other delicacies on a table of mezze. Traditionally, however, fava is also served as a main, topped with thinly chopped purple onions and a few capers. The simplicity of cooking the yellow split peas is an embodiment to the island itself and the simple way of living.

Instead, “Fava” in Greek cuisine refers to a puree of bean eaten throughout Greece, often served hot, or at room temperature as a meze with ouzo, or as the main course in a rustic meal—but never with a fine chianti.

Fava beans (Vicia faha) are an Old World legume, originating in the Near East. They were probably the first domesticated food crop. From the Neolithic period onward, they appear in myth, Egyptian tombs, and archeological sites of the Mediterranean basin, China, and Northern Africa.

In China, the Middle East and elsewhere, dried favas are fried and tossed with salt as a crunchy snack. Mexican cuisine also employs dried favas — like in this dried fava bean soup.

Regularly eating fava beans may boost your immune system. In particular, they're rich in compounds that may enhance antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are critical to your body's immune defense, as they fight free radicals that may lead to cell damage and disease ( 12 , 13 , 14 ).

Rich in flavonoids, fava beans offer more than a tasty bite; they provide potent antioxidants that combat oxidative stress and inflammation. These anti-inflammatory properties are crucial, especially for those managing conditions like arthritis, offering a natural avenue to mitigate discomfort and promote well-being.

They are widely used in Egyptian, Iranian, North African, and Middle Eastern cuisines. But I was surprised to learn that in Columbia, China, Japan, and Ethiopia, the fava bean is a staple in cooking as well.

They grow in green pods, and fresh favas can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. Their versatility makes them suitable for soups, stews, salads, sauces, fillings, snacks, and more. Fava beans have an earthy, nutty, slightly sweet, and slightly bitter taste.

Do you need to soak fava beans before cooking? ›

Soak overnight. Once the beans have soaked, you will notice that they have increased in size, indicating that they have absorbed moisture. QUICK SOAK - you will need 1 hour. Place the fava beans into the bottom of a large pot and cover with water.

1. Soak the beans to loosen the outer layer. Fill a pot with 10 cups of water for every pound of beans, and leave them to soak overnight to loosen their protective outer layers. You can also do a quick soak, in which you boil the beans for three minutes, and allow them to sit in the hot water for one hour.

How to Store Fava Beans. Fresh beans still in the pod can be kept in the fridge in a plastic bag or container for up to 10 days. Once the beans have been shelled, they won't keep too long— two days in a sealed container.

I dress the cooked favas in olive oil, lots of lemon zest, salt and pepper. Then I mash them up with a fork and have them on a piece of toast. I also leave them whole and tuck them in warm pita bread with feta cheese and dill, or toss them with buttered pasta and grate some cheese on top.

The main specificity of Santorini Fava resides in the fact that it is produced using a particular type of plant, namely Lathyrus clymenum L. of theFabaceae family. This plant is grown exclusively in the defined area and for the sole purpose of producing Santorini Fava.

Hummus is made with chickpeas while Fava is made with either Santorini Fava or yellow split peas. There are other small differences and hummus often has other ingredients added to the basic recipe. But the beans are the core thing that separates these two delicious Greek dips.

Fava beans or broad beans? Fava beans are the dried beans of the Vicia faba species of the legume family. They're the same species as the fresh or frozen green broad beans more familiar in British cooking but fava beans are the fully mature dried fruit of smaller seeded varieties.

Don't get it twisted: while they may look somewhat alike, lupini beans are not fava beans! Their nutritional composition and taste are very different. Lupini beans are silkier in texture and boast a more savory taste than fava beans. They're also higher in protein, calcium, magnesium, and some fatty acids.

Fava Bean Recipes

Dried beans are often used to make soups, stews, pastes, and falafel. Fresh beans are sautéed, boiled, steamed, roasted, or fried. They can also be added raw to salads or pestos, or lightly cooked and tossed with other springtime vegetables like artichokes and asparagus.