I was gifted another round of fava beans in my last CSA box after making our way through our own harvest from our garden about a month ago.  Having tried a variety of fava bean recipes and not wanting to make another round of fava bean soup (as delicious as it is, it’s too hot for soup), I decided to try making some fava bean hummus.

I made hummus recently with a big pot of chickpeas that I made from dry (remember Quaran-beans?).  Conveniently, I still had plenty of tahini on hand from that adventure, and have just re-stocked on olive oil and lemons.  I removed all of the favas from their shells, boiled the beans for about ten minutes to soften, and then ran them under cold water to cool.  The rest of the ingredients were added into the blender along with the cooled beans, and hummus was created!

I like this hummus because it has a nice mild flavor and a pretty, light green color.  It tastes very similar to normal hummus, so I don’t think it takes too much to get used to from a flavor perspective.  Use it any way hummus would be used – snack platters, grain bowls, salads, you name it!  If you’re fortunate enough to find some fresh favas at the farmer’s market or have been gifted some by a friend or CSA box, this recipe is a great place to start with enjoying fava beans! 

Recipe down below, photo up top!

Fava Bean Hummus:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh fava beans, removed from hulls (shells)
• Juice of two lemons
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup water
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Remove fava beans from their hulls (shells).  Boil in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 8-10 minutes, until the beans have softened.  Drain and run under cold water for 1 minute until all of the beans have cooled down fully and the cooking has stopped.  Drain fully before making the hummus.
2. Add the drained and cooked fava beans, tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil, garlic, and salt to a blender.  Blend on high for 1 minute, or until completely smooth. 
   1. Add a little more water or olive oil if the mixture needs help blending.
3. Once smooth, serve and store the remaining hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!