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    Home » Recipes » Guides

    Published: Jul 8, 2021 · Modified: Jul 15, 2022 by joskitchenlarder · 2 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How to Cook Broad Beans (Fava Beans)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Bookmark Bookmarked!
    Broad beans in different forms on a board.
    Raw, cooked & double podded broad beans in three rows.
    Double podded broad beans in a bowl.

    Not quite sure what to do with the glut of broad beans (fava beans)? Let me show you how to prepare, cook and even freeze these nutrient packed summer gems!

    Broad beans shown in different forms.

    The way you cook broad beans will determine whether you are likely to enjoy them or not.

    Eat them simply podded and boiled (especially towards the end of their season) and you will run a mile.

    However, if you go to the effort of uncovering the bright green jewell of deliciousness, you will most likely become a forever fan!

    Jump to:
    • What are broad beans
    • How to prepare broad beans
    • How long to cook broad beans for
    • Blanching broad beans
    • Double podding broad beans
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • 🥡 Storing and freezing
    • How to freeze broad beans
    • Cooking broad beans - step-by-step
    • 🍴Serving Suggestions
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What are broad beans

    Broad Beans also known as Fava or Faba Beans are members of the legume family.

    They are pretty robust and easy to grow in our UK climate and are in season from the end of May/early June all the way up to mid September.

    Broad beans hide inside their skins (pods) which are also edible (when young) and early in the season you can try cooking and eating your broad beans whole - pod and a bean, similarly as you would peas.

    You can even embark on cooking just the pods as in this recipe for Fried Broad Bean Pods if you want.

    Personally, I much prefer enjoying them podded or even double podded as you'll find out below.

    Broad beans in their pods.

    How to prepare broad beans

    Firstly, you want to get rid of the outer shell by shelling the broad beans.

    There are many different ways of going about it my favourite ones being:

    1. Snapping the pod in half and opening each half with your fingers to get the beans out.
    2. Splitting the pod open with the help of your nails, similar to what you would do with the pea pod. Pod will be easier to open this way if you remove the string (that starts at the top of the bean where it used to hang off the plant) first.

    I'll let you choose which way suits you best!

    Once you got broad beans (fava beans) out of their shells, you are ready to cook them!

    Hand holding open pod with 4 broad beans inside it.

    How long to cook broad beans for

    Broad beans (fava beans) don't take long to cook at all.

    It takes approximately 2-3 minutes depending on their size but I find 2 minutes to be a sweet spot even if you've got quite a mixed batch of beans (different sizes) in one pan.

    Blanching broad beans

    The best way to cook broad beans (fava beans) is to blanch them.

    Blanching is when you cook something (in our case broad beans) in boiling water for a specific time, following by submerging it in icy cold water or alternatively, running under a very cold tap straight after to stop the cooking process.

    Blanching also helps to preserve colour as well as nutritional value.

    Skinned, raw broad beans in a bowl with some on a board.

    Double podding broad beans

    Should you double pod broad beans? In my opinion YES!

    Ok, it does take that little bit of extra time and patience but I must say it's quite a calming experience and totally worth it!

    Even though you can eat broad beans (fava beans) without double podding and it's absolutely fine to do that (especially early in the season when they are still quite small, young and tender), once you've tried double podded ones, you will not want to go back!

    My children would not touch wrinkly looking, slightly rubbery and bitter broad beans before they've been double podded but adore bright green ones.

    It's definitely not just visual thing but mainly flavour.

    Broad beans shown raw, cooked & double podded.

    💭 Top Tips

    1. Don't attempt double podding broad beans before blanching them, it would take you forever. They almost slip out of their skins once blanched.
    • Don't go over 3 minutes max cooking time or you'll have an absolute mush. Broad beans taste their best tender but with a slight bite to them.
    • Don't skip cooling the beans straight after blanching them. This stops cooking process and preserves both colour and nutritional value.
    • Don't skip double-podding, it really is game changer! The outer skin is not particularly palatable in my opinion and actually quite bitter too.
    • 1 kg (2.2lb) fresh broad beans in their pods (fava beans) will yield you approximately 250-300g (9-10.5oz) worth of beans. It's usually enough for 4 side dish servings or to add to salad, pasta or rice dishes. 

    🥡 Storing and freezing

    Uncooked broad beans (in their pods) will keep in your veg box in the fridge for up to a week.

    I wouldn't recommend shelling them until you're ready to blanch them as once they've been shelled they will start deteriorating pretty quickly if left uncooked.

    If you don't have an immediate use for them or are indeed inundated with the huge glut you can easily freeze them (after blanching first) for up to a year.

    Cooked broad beans will last in the fridge for approx. 3-5 days.

    How to freeze broad beans

    To freeze broad beans, I would recommend blanching them first as this way they will not only keep their colour and nutritional value but will also keep in the freezer for longer.

    Once blanched and cooled, make sure to dry broad beans well which will help preventing freezer burn. Don't double pod them at this stage as the pod will help protect them.

    I like to freeze my broad beans in single layer on a small baking sheet (one that fits in my freezer) before transferring them into large, freezer friendly bag.

    Bear in mind that doing it this way you might need to do it in batches but they do freeze very quickly and you won't end up with a bag of broad beans that are clumped together.

    To defrost broad beans simply submerge them in a pot of boiling water for one minute and cool immediately in icy water or under cold tuning tap. Proceed with double podding.

    Alternatively, you could let them defrost in a bowl on your kitchen counter for about an hour before you intend to use them. Once defrosted double pod them and you're ready to go!

    Cooking broad beans - step-by-step

    One - Prepare the broad beans for cooking by shelling them (getting rid of the outer skin/shell/pod).

    Two - Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to boil.

    Lidded pan on top of a stove.

    Three - Add shelled beans to boiling water and blanch for anything between 2-3 minutes.

    Raw broad beans being added to the pan with boiling water.

    Four - Once the time is up, drains the beans and cool them immediately in icy water or under cold running tap.

    Cooked broad beans being drained on a sieve.
    Cooked broad beans in a sieve being rinsed under the tap.

    Five - Double pod the beans to reveal their bright green, super tender flesh. I find that the easiest way to do this is to make small incision with a knife at the top of the bean and gently squeeze it out (see pics below).

    Knife about to cut the top of a broad bean.
    Top being cut off the broad bean to double pod.
    Hand holding double podded broad bean.

    Six - Use as you see fit in your favourite broad bean recipe.

    🍴Serving Suggestions

    You can use broad beans (fava beans) in a wide range of recipes and also in a very similar way you would use peas.

    Think vibrant green addition to salads like this Broad Bean Summer Salad, risottos, pasta dishes and soups.

    Try adding them to my vegan potato salad for a bit of freshness and colour.

    How about swapping peas for broad beans in this Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto.

    Use them in my Creamy Pasta Primavera or stir through this simple Roasted Tomato & Basil Pasta adding a touch of colour.

    For pure broad bean indulgence this fresh and zesty Broad Bean Dip is an absolute flavour revelation.

    My favourite way of serving them is as Broad Bean Bruschetta - so super simple yet so delicious. Summer on a plate!

    Carrot stick being dipped in broad bean dip.

    Have you found my How to Cook Broad Beans (Fava Beans) guide useful?
    Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below.

    📋 Recipe

    Broad beans in their pods and some podded.
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    How to Cook Broad Beans (Fava Beans)

    Not quite sure what to do with the glut of broad beans (fava beans)? Let me show you how to prepare, cook and even freeze these nutrient packed summer gems!
    Course Side Dish, vegetable dish
    Cuisine International
    Keyword how to cook broad beans, how to cook fava beans

    Equipment

    • Medium saucepan*
    • Sieve*
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 3 minutes
    Double Podding 10 minutes
    Total Time 28 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 83kcal
    Author Jo Allison

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 kg fresh broad beans see notes

    Instructions

    • Prepare broad beans for cooking by shelling them (getting rid of the outer skin/shell/pod).
    • Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
    • Add shelled beans to boiling water and blanch for anything between 2-3 minutes max.
    • Once the time is up, drain the beans and cool them immediately in icy water or under cold running tap.
    • Double pod the beans by pinching them gently with your fingers to reveal their bright green, super tender flesh. Making small incision with a knife at the top of the bean will help. Discard the outer pods.
    • Use as you see fit in your favourite broad bean recipe or as a simple side dish.
    • Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Nutritional guidelines are approximate, per serving based on 4 servings of plain cooked broad beans and should be treated as a rough guideline only. 
    • 1 kg fresh broad beans (fava beans) will yield you anything between 250- 300g (9-10.5oz) worth of beans. It's usually enough for 4 side dish servings or to add to salad, pasta or rice dishes. 
    • Cooked beans will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
    • Freezer friendly (see "How to freeze broad beans" above)
    TIPS
    1. Don't attempt double podding broad beans before blanching them, it would take you forever. They almost slip out of their skins once blanched.
    2. Don't go over 3 minutes max cooking time or you'll have an absolute mush. Broad beans taste their best tender but with a slight bite to them.
    3. Don't skip cooling the beans straight after blanching them. This stops cooking process and preserves both colour and nutritional value.
    4. Don't skip double-podding, it really is game changer! The outer skin is not particularly palatable in my opinion and actually quite bitter too.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    How to Cook Broad Beans (Fava Beans)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 83 Calories from Fat 9
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 1g2%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Sodium 4mg0%
    Potassium 201mg6%
    Carbohydrates 15g5%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 11IU0%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 27mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

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    1. Mike says

      November 09, 2021 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful post and photos. Apparently, some chefs are now using broad beans to make "guacamole" to avoid the extreme environmental cost that growing avocados causes. Cheers!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        November 10, 2021 at 10:41 am

        Hi Mike,
        Thank you so much for your lovely comment! 🙂 I must say, as much as I love avocados I have cut down on their consumption quite drastically, keeping them now as an occasional treat. I think looking closer to home and eating more seasonally is definitely the way to go and broad bean "guacamole" sounds good to me and once they're back in season here in the UK I might give it a go. 🙂

        Reply

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