Sautéed Fava Beans And Greens

Sautéed Fava Beans And Greens
2.7 from 3 ratings
Here is a simple yet absolutely delectable fava side dish. Fava beans require a bit of time and effort to prepare. You have to shell, parboil, then peel the lil' buggers. To cut down on time (and to enrich the flavor), use both fava beans and fava greens. Fava greens are sweet and mild, and make a wonderful sautéed green. It is much easier to prepare the leaves for cooking (simply pick and rinse) than the beans. So by padding the dish with greens, you can serve more generous portions of favas in a reduced time. Served alongside a grilled steak and a nice chianti. (Sorry, no liver; but bonus beans if you get that reference.) Click here to see In Season: Fava Beans.
Servings
2
servings
Ingredients
  • 24 fava bean pods, shucked
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cup packed fava greens
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • fava blossoms, for garnish (optional)*
Directions
  1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat and set up an ice bath. Parboil the fava beans for about 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Once cooled, slip off the skins and set the tender green legumes aside. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté the onion until caramelized lightly. Add the fava beans and garlic and cook for about 1 more minute. Now add the fava greens. (These greens are very delicate, so you'll only want to lightly toss the leaves for about 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.) Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and garnish with fava blossoms, if using.