The fava bean cream is a fresh and tasty recipe great to eat on its own, to season pasta or a risotto. You can make the fava bean cream using either fresh or dried (or frozen) beans depending on the time of year.
If you like creamy soups, don’t forget to check out the recipe:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 116.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.75 (g) of which sugars 3.30 (g)
- Proteins 7.80 (g)
- Fat 5.27 (g) of which saturated 0.67 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 7.50 (g)
- Sodium 608.87 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 1.65 lbs fava beans
- 0.85 cups water
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Blender
- 1 Pan
- 1 Strainer
Procedure
In this recipe, we will see how to make fava bean cream with fresh ingredients, but you can also use dried ingredients.
First, open the pods to extract the actual fava beans. When shelling the pods, you lose about 50% to 70% of their weight, and you will end up with about 300 grams of cleaned fava beans.
You can skip this step if you’re using dried or frozen fava beans that are already shelled.
Once you have the fava beans, put some water on the stove, and when it boils, immerse the fava beans and cook for 3-5 minutes. Fava beans are very delicate and cook quickly.
Drain the fava beans and put them under running cold water or in a container with cold water to stop the cooking and maintain the bright green color.
If you’re using dried or frozen fava beans, this step is irrelevant; the color has already been compromised by the preservation method, and you will get a less bright green fava bean cream.
At this point, the tedious part: remove the bitter skin covering the fava beans. It is not a mandatory step, but I recommend it for the final taste of the dish.
We are almost at the end, put the fava beans in the blender cup with half of the water and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Blend or mix until you get a thick and full-bodied fava bean cream, if necessary, adjust the consistency to your personal preference by adding water a little at a time.
Finish the dish with salt, a drizzle of oil, and if you like, some pepper. If you want, you can also add some mint leaves to make the cream even more summery.
Your fava bean cream is ready!
Plating Tips:
I recommend a simple presentation; for a touch of color, you can add some whole fava beans and mint leaves to decorate the dish. Personally, I like to add some crunchy croutons even in cold creams.
Wine Pairing:
The fava bean cream pairs perfectly with a fresh and aromatic white wine, such as a Ribolla Gialla or a Falanghina. Their fragrance and freshness will enhance the delicate flavors of the cream, creating a perfect balance in every bite.
