As a child my mom for some reason never made fava, we ate plenty of lentil soup but not the fava, this yellow split pea puree. I came across it as an appetizer in tavernes (plural in Greek for taverna) here in Greece, but unfortunately modern Greeks rarely eat it at home anymore.
Once my older son began eating solid food I made sure he ate traditional, seasonal, organic Greek dishes. So when he started eating beans, I made him fava. It’s easy, tasty, and hearty, especially on a cold day.
I use the original recipe from the traditional Greek cookbook from Hrisa Paradisi. You basically boil the beans and onion, and then puree them. I used a food mill instead of a food processor to puree the beans, but you can use whatever you feel comfortable with.
I ate the fava right after I took it off the stove; it was creamy, it was warm, it was the ultimate comfort food. Of course, it’s not only soothing to eat, it is healthy. Obviously the beans are healthy, full of antioxidants and non-animal protein, but also the combination of lemon, onion, and olive oil make fava an antioxidant powerhouse.
It is thought that this dish is only an appetizer or dip but it can also be a main course.
Fava
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound fava (about 1/2 kilogram). These are not broad beans but yellow split peas.
- 2 whole onions chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Lemon
- Parsley
DIRECTIONS
1.Rinse the fava.
2. Boil the beans together with the onions and 6-7 cups of water for about 1 ½ hour.
3. Pass it through a food mill or puree sieve.
4. Put the puree in the pot again and warm up, add some salt, pepper and about ¼ cup of olive oil. Let it come to a boil for a few minutes.
5. Serve with some chopped raw onion, parsley and lemon.
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When I visited Crete last year Fava seemed to be on every table and I loved it. Sorry to read that it’s only enjoyed in restaurants these days, but I’m glad to have the recipe at hand here on olivetomato. Thanks!
That depends where you go and who you talk to.
I’m lucky enough to go to Crete each summer. I have a number of greek friends and they all cook traditional foods. One of my friends will only have traditional dishes in a restaurant when I’m there because she cooks traditional dishes at home, as do the rest of her family.
She knows what foods are in season and, lucky me, when we are out to dinner she will also tell me how to make the dishes. Unfortunately it never tastes quite the same as good as our ingredients are not as good.
There are non tourist restaurants everywhere and the staff are always happy to discuss the dishes and how they are cooked – this is very normal for greeks and they are always surprised when customers dont ask!
HI CURTIS, NOT TRUE ABOUT FAVA IS SERVED IN RESTAURANTS ONLY, I HAVE IT HOME OFTEN. YOU CAN TOO WHEN EVER YOU FEEL LIKE IT, WITH SOME FRESH BREAD AND VIRGIN OLIVE OIL,ALSO GREEK SALAD, TOMATOES, CUCUMBER, SCALLIONS,FRYING PEPPER, THAT’S THE LONG LIGHT GREEN ONCE. FETA, LITTLE WINE VINEGAR, GRANULATED GARLIC, SALT SOME OREGANO, VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, MIX WELL AND ENJOY WITH FRESH BREAD. BON APATITE OR KALI OREKSI LIKE WE SAY IN GREEK
This is the only recipe I have found on the web that actually tastes like the fava dip you get in Greece. Delicious!