Stewed Italian Broad Beans

5 from 2 votes

This is a delicious Stewed Italian Broad Beans recipe that is often seen in the Spring in Calabria. Broad beans, aka Fava Beans, are found fresh in Italy in the Spring along with spring onions. You will see this type of dish at the beginning of Spring all over Italy.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

soak8

Total Time1 5

Course: Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $10

Equipment

1 Saucepan
1 bowl

Ingredients

1 cup dried broad beans (fava beans), soaked overnight
1 cup spring onions, chopped Only the white part
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2.5 cups water
2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Place the dried broad beans in a bowl and cover with water. Let them sit out overnight to soften. 8-12 hours.
In a large saucepan, add 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add in the spring onions with a pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Lower the heat if they start to brown.
Stir in the broad beans, paprika, crushed red pepper, and the rest of the salt. Stir well to combine. Pour in the water and raise the heat to high. Bring the water to a boil and then immediately lower the heat so the liquid stays simmering.
Cover and simmer for 60-75 minutes. If the pan starts to dry out, add another cup of water.
Once the beans reach the desired texture, remove from the heat and set aside to rest for ten minutes. The beans should have bite on the outside but be starchy and softer on the inside.
Cool for 5 minutes. Serve with chopped green side of the spring onions for garnish.

Video

Notes

If using fresh fava beans, shell them but don't peel them before cooking. If you use dried broad beans or fava beans as we did, make sure to soak them in water overnight; otherwise, they can take two hours to cook.
Make sure to use a big bowl for soaking beans. Beans soak up water quickly, and if there isn't enough water in the bowl, they will soak it all up.
It's best to taste as you cook the broad beans. After 60 minutes, start taste testing the beans for texture. Once they're somewhat tender on the inside but still have their bite on the outside, they're ready.

Nutrition