If you love broad beans, perhaps you are looking for recipes and ideas to best use them as ingredients in your dishes. Broad beans are legumes rich in proteins and vegetable fibres, low in fat and a source of precious mineral salts and vitamins. You can use them to prepare falafel according to the traditional recipe, as a condiment for pasta or rice and more. Here are ten recipes with broad beans to inspire you.
Broad bean hummus
To prepare broad bean hummus for 4 people, you will need approximately 400 g of shelled fresh broad beans (or 250 g of soaked dried broad beans), 3 tablespoons of tahini, the juice of one lemon, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of cumin powder.
Cook the broad beans in boiling salted water for about 5-7 minutes if fresh, or until tender, and drain. Transfer them to a blender, add tahini, oil, lemon and cumin, and blend until you obtain a smooth and velvety cream. If it is too thick, add a spoonful of cooking water or vegetable broth. Serve with pita bread, croutons or raw vegetables as a dip.
Bruschetta with broad beans, ricotta and lemon
For 4 bruschettas: 4 slices of rustic bread, 100 g of fresh ricotta, 150 g of fresh broad beans, extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest.
Blanch the broad beans in salted water for 3-4 minutes and shell them. Toast the bread, spread the ricotta on top, add the coarsely chopped broad beans, a drizzle of oil and a little grated lemon zest. Serve immediately as an appetizer or snack.
Broad bean falafel
Broad bean falafel are excellent croquettes that you can prepare with broad beans, or alternatively with chickpeas. In some versions of falafel both ingredients are present. All you need to do is shell some fresh broad beans and proceed as indicated here in our recipe.
Potato, broad bean and pecorino croquettes
Ingredients for 4 people (about 12 croquettes):
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 20 minutes until they become soft. Peel them and mash them with a potato masher. Blanch the broad beans for 5 minutes in salted water, drain them, cool them and shell them. Chop them coarsely. Add the chopped broad beans to the mashed potatoes, add pecorino, salt, pepper and the egg. Mix until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Form croquettes, roll them in breadcrumbs and place them on a lightly oiled baking tray.
Cook them in the oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking, or fry them in hot oil until golden. Serve hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Spring omelette with broad beans and peas
For an omelette for 2-3 people: 4 eggs, 150 g of shelled fresh broad beans and 100 g of fresh or frozen peas, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add broad beans and peas and sauté for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper, pour them into the pan and cook over low heat with a lid for about 10 minutes, until the omelette has thickened. You can turn it on a plate or finish it under the grill to brown the surface. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, also ideal for spring picnics.
Spaghetti with broad bean cream and mint
Ingredients for 2 people: 200 g of spaghetti, 200 g of shelled fresh broad beans, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, 10-12 fresh mint leaves, salt, pepper and pecorino flakes to taste
Cook the broad beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes and cool them immediately under cold water. Blend them with oil, mint and lemon juice until you obtain a smooth cream. Cook the spaghetti and drain them al dente, then season them with the broad bean cream. Complete with flakes of pecorino cheese and a drizzle of raw oil.
Quinoa, broad bean and cherry tomato salad
For 2-3 people: 150 g of quinoa, 150 g of fresh broad beans, 150 g of cherry tomatoes, 1 cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper.
Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package and let it cool. Blanch the broad beans for 5 minutes and cool them in cold water. Cut the cherry tomatoes and cucumber into cubes and combine everything in a bowl. Season with oil, lemon, salt and pepper, mix well and serve. Also excellent to prepare in advance and take out of the house.
Venere rice with asparagus cream and fresh broad beans
Venere rice with cream of asparagus and broad beans is a typically spring dish. You can divide the preparation into several phases but the result will be a light, tasty first course, also suitable for those suffering from celiac disease. Here is the complete recipe.
Spring salad of legumes with broad beans and lupins
Without cooking, this spring salad of legumes with broad beans and lupins is easily prepared in a few minutes and is perfect for the first warm spring days. Here is the recipe to follow.
Broad bean pesto
Maybe you’ve never thought about it, but broad beans are a perfect ingredient for preparing an alternative pesto to season pasta or spread on bread. All you need is fresh, already cleaned broad beans, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint leaves and, if you want, a clove of garlic.
In a pan, bring plenty of salted water to the boil, add the fresh broad beans and cook for about 5 minutes, until they become tender. Drain them and cool them under cold running water. Shell the broad beans to obtain the individual green seeds. In a mixer or mortar, add the shelled broad beans, the grated seasoned pecorino, the mint leaves, the garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Blend or crush until you obtain a creamy consistency. Continue to blend or crush the ingredients while slowly adding the extra virgin olive oil, until you obtain the desired consistency. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Transfer the broad bean pesto to a bowl and serve with fresh bread, pasta or grilled meat. If you don’t consume it immediately, store the pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight container, covering the surface with a thin layer of oil to preserve the color and flavor.
Rice and broad bean pie
With the broad beans you can prepare an excellent rice cake. You will have to cook the broad beans and rice separately. You will blend the broad beans to obtain a puree and then combine the two ingredients to create your cake. You will enrich it with almonds, thyme and bechamel, also in a vegan version.
Ingredients
Once the rice is cooked, make sure it is dry and pulled, and pour it into the bowl containing the broad bean cream. Mix well, then coat a baking tray with oil, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and pour in the rice and broad bean mixture.
Cover with a thin layer of breadcrumbs, pour a drizzle of oil on the surface and bake for about half an hour.
Your vegan cake is ready! All you have to do is let it cool and wrap it up to take it with you.
*Vegan béchamel: here’s how to prepare it: Combine 200 g of extra virgin olive oil with seven tablespoons of flour, add a pinch of nutmeg, a little salt and a little pepper.
Using a whisk, mix well to prevent lumps from forming and place back on the stove, over low heat, until the béchamel has obtained a reasonable density. Here is the complete recipe.
Broad bean purée
You can prepare the broad bean puree starting from fresh broad beans, but the traditional Apulian recipe requires using dried broad beans. The advice is to prefer fresh beans when they are in season. You can serve the broad bean puree as a side dish or accompany it with other vegetables or herbs of your choice. Here is the complete recipe.
Sicilian broad bean soup
Maccu, or macco, is a crushed broad bean soup typical of Sicily. To prepare it you will need half a kilo of dried broad beans and two large, ripe tomatoes, an onion and extra virgin olive oil. The list of ingredients is really short, but the result will be delicious. Here is the complete recipe.
Broad bean and legume soup
With the typical ingredients of the peasant tradition, broad beans and legumes, you can prepare an excellent soup to be enriched with tomato puree, carrots, onions, bay leaves, rosemary and celery.
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add a finely chopped clove of garlic. After a few minutes, add the fresh beans already shelled and let them brown slightly.
Then add a handful of already boiled mixed legumes (such as chickpeas, cannellini beans or lentils) and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, until all the ingredients are well blended.
At the end of cooking, complete the dish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve hot and enjoy the soup with toasted bread or bruschetta.
Risotto with broad beans
Fresh broad beans are an excellent ingredient for preparing risotto. Among the other ingredients you will need extra virgin olive oil, chopped onion or garlic, and grated parmesan. To cook risotto we suggest preparing a good homemade vegetable broth.
Accordion potatoes with fresh broad bean cream
Accordion potatoes with fresh broad bean cream: a delicious, totally vegetable spring proposal. This delicious dish offers an alternative way to enjoy legumes, combining the creaminess of fresh broad beans with the texture of potatoes. A delicious and nutritious option to enrich your table with seasonal flavors that you can find here.
