Fava beans and chicory is a typical recipe of Apulian cuisine prepared with very few genuine ingredients, typical of rural tradition. As simple as it is delicious.
I tasted it for the first time last year in a charming little restaurant located in one of the many colorful alleys of Cisternino, and since then I’ve fallen in love with this recipe.
Its preparation is very simple and does not require particular precautions except that of soaking the hulled dried fava beans the night before. As for the chicory, it would be preferable to use wild field chicory, which is more tender, however, in its absence, you can easily use the chicory found in the supermarket.
Oil, salt, and a potato (optional) are the only other ingredients you will need to complete the dish.
If possible, I suggest you accompany fava beans and chicory with a generous slice of Altamura bread and a good glass of Negramaro wine.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups hulled dried fava beans
- 14 oz chicory (preferably wild)
- 1 potato (medium)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Pots
- 1 Food mill
- 1 Wooden spoon
Steps
To prepare fava beans and chicory, start the night before by soaking the hulled dried fava beans in plenty of cold water.
The next day, rinse the fava beans thoroughly and place them in a high-sided pot,
layer a peeled and sliced potato over their surface, and cover everything with cold water (it should exceed the surface of the beans by a couple of inches).
Let them cook on low heat for half an hour with the lid on, then remove the lid and use a skimmer to eliminate the foam that will have formed on the surface.
Continue cooking for another 2 hours.
In the meantime, carefully clean the chicory, removing the end parts of the stems and any blackened leaves, and wash it well under running water. Then let it cook in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
The fava beans will be ready when stirring them with a wooden spoon causes them to break down into a coarse puree. At this point, salt them and let them cook a few more minutes to dissolve the salt.
If you prefer, at the end of cooking you can pass the fava bean puree through the food mill or blend it with an immersion blender if you prefer it smoother.
Finish preparing the dish by composing it with the fava bean puree and chicory and drizzling everything with a drizzle of raw oil, preferably Apulian 😉.
