Fava Bean Dip Recipe. Fresh fava (broad) beans blanched and pureed with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and other seasonings.
Fava bean dip is one of those simple yet unbelievably delicious recipes that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. It’s creamy, full of flavor, and has that perfect balance of earthiness and brightness that keeps you coming back for more. And the best part? It’s easy to make, whether you’re using fresh fava beans in the spring or frozen ones for a quick fix.
Growing up, fava beans were a common sight, especially during family gatherings. My grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles would sit at the kitchen table, peeling them one by one, chatting about life while preparing them for whatever dish my nonna had planned. Sometimes they’d be tossed into pasta, other times sautéed with olive oil and garlic, but I don’t remember ever having fava bean dip.
I like bean dip, so I knew making pureed fava beans into a dip would be good.
As a gardener, I love to grow fava beans. They are beautiful to look at, grow in the cool weather, and offer an early harvest. Not to mention, the plants grow in all sorts of soil conditions and add fertility by fixing nitrogen at their roots.
At the end of the day, fava bean dip is the kind of recipe that proves you don’t need a long list of ingredients to make something amazing. A handful of fresh, quality staples and a little bit of time is all it takes to create a dip that’s perfect for spreading on warm bread, scooping up with crunchy vegetables, or just eating straight from the spoon.
So, if you’ve never tried making it before, now’s the time. Keep it simple, make it your own, and most importantly—enjoy it with good company. Because, like any great dish, it’s not just about the food. It’s about the moments shared around the table.
NOTE
Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
How to Make Fava Bean Dip
Preparing the Beans:
- Begin by filling a bowl with ice water and setting it aside. Next, in a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, strain the beans, and add them to the bowl of ice water.
- Let the beans sit for 5 minutes before straining. Next, remove the outer skin of each bean.
Making the Dip:
- Add the beans and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth, or your desired texture, scraping down the sides of the bowl is necessary.
- At this point taste the dip and add more salt if necessary.
How To Serve Fava Bean Dip:
- Serve this fava bean dip like hummus, drizzling extra virgin olive oil over the dip to your taste.
Invent Your Recipe
For this fava bean dip I am using yellow onion and garlic. You could also use onion and garlic powder if you do not have the fresh ingredients in the house. If so, use about 1 teaspoon of each.
This recipe would also work with other types of beans. I recommend white beans from a can. When using the can of white beans, you may want to reduce the amount of lemon juice or extra virgin olive oil in the recipe. The white beans have a milder flavor than the fava beans, so add the lemon juice and oil a little at a time until you achieve your desired texture and flavor.
The freshness of parsley is a great addition to this recipe, however, you can add whichever fresh herbs you like. You could try cilantro, basil, oregano, sage, or thyme.
Also, I did not add nuts or seeds to this bean dip. For some additional flavor and texture try pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, seeds, or sesame seeds in this recipe.
For more appetizer ideas like this fava bean dip, check out these recipes.
The Recipe
Fava Bean Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled fava beans
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ small yellow onion roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more to serve
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup fresh parsley
Instructions
Preparing the Beans:
- Begin by filling a bowl with ice water and setting it aside. Next, in a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
- Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, strain the beans, and add them to the bowl of ice water.
- Let the beans sit for 5 minutes before straining. Next, remove the outer skin of each bean.
Making the Dip:
- Add the beans and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth, or your desired texture, scraping down the sides of the bowl is necessary.
- At this point taste the dip and add more salt if necessary.
How To Serve Fava Bean Dip:
- Serve this fava bean dip like hummus, drizzling extra virgin olive oil over the dip to your taste.
Invent Your Recipe
Nutrition
