When you enjoy a serving of fresh fava beans, you're taking a bite out of ancient history.
Also known as the broad bean, the vegetable is one of civilization's oldest legumes. Its pedigree dates back to more than 10,000 years ago.
As you finish that delicious dish of fava beans, nutrition might not be a prime consideration, but it's a bonus that comes with every serving.
Fava beans, also known as broad beans, deliver a satisfying combination of great flavor and beneficial essentials.
If you're curious about all the fava bean benefits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, read on.
We're also sharing our favorite fava bean recipes, along with tips for buying and storing the legendary legume.
Let's dig in.
What Are Fava Beans?
Fava beans are members of the pea family.
The leguminous plant can grow up to 6 feet tall, with bean pods sprouting on stems from central branches.
Each bright green pod typically yields four to six fava beans.
Fresh fava beans are seasonal, available from late spring through early fall.
The flavor of fava beans is often described as slightly sweet and nutty, with buttery overtones.
They're a tasty treat straight out of the pod, and they're easy to incorporate in all types of recipes.
Are Fava Beans Healthy?
As one of California's most established produce growers and shippers, we know fresh vegetables from root to stem, including each plant's nutritional profile.
Fresh fava beans are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. They're cholesterol free, contain no saturated fat and provide healthy soluble plant fiber.
Add their culinary versatility, and you have a fresh vegetable that fits perfectly on home and restaurant menus.
Let's take a closer look at why fava beans are a healthy choice.
7 Health Benefits of Fava Beans
1. Nutrition in Every Cup
Fava beans deliver an impressive variety of nutrients. Snacking on 1 cup of raw fava beans boosts your health with these essential vitamins:
Vitamin A – 79.5 IU
Vitamin B-6 – .55 mg
Vitamin C – 2.1 mg
Vitamin E – .08 mg
Vitamin K – 13.5 mg
2. Heart-Healthy Fiber
The 9.5 grams of dietary fiber in every cup of fava beans provides 34% of the Daily Value (DV) recommended by health professionals. The soluble fiber helps manage digestion and control glucose levels.
That's a big plus for reducing cholesterol buildup in arteries. The fiber in broad beans can play an important role in preventing strokes and heart attacks.
3. Essential Folate
Folate is a type of vitamin essential to creating DNA and generating cell growth.
Just a single 1-cup serving of fava beans supplies almost half of the recommended DV of natural vitamin B-9.
The folate in broad beans also promotes red cell production, a critical component of good health, but it's especially important during pregnancy.
The essential vitamin can help support healthy fetal development.
4. Protective Plant Proteins
A diet rich in plant proteins can provide protection against a number of serious health problems, including:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Obesity
Type 2 Diabetes
Fava beans are also a healthy alternative to traditional proteins. The broad beans deliver 13 grams of plant protein in every cup.
That's almost 30% of your recommended protein DV.
5. Immunity Boosters
Antioxidants play a critical role in maintaining strong immune systems.
Fava beans serve up an impressive number of the essentials, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, iron and manganese.
By neutralizing the effects of free radicals, the antioxidants in fava beans can help prevent:
Arthritis
Vision loss
Coronary disease
Nerve cell damage
DNA damage
6. Better Bone Health
As an antioxidant, manganese contributes to overall immunity, but it helps build strong bones too.
One cup of fava beans supplies 36% of the recommended DV of this important mineral.
That same serving of broad beans delivers 22% of the recommended DV of copper, which is also crucial to maintaining bone growth and structure.
Both minerals are considered beneficial for older adults affected by osteoporosis.
7. Anemia Prevention
An iron-rich diet helps prevent anemia and its secondary effects, such as stomach problems, chronic tiredness, irregular heartbeats and shortness of breath.
With 10.05 milligrams of iron in each cup, fava beans can decrease the risk of iron deficiency anemia.
The mineral can also boost energy levels, support the immune system and promote better sleep.
6 Easy Fava Bean Recipes
Fava beans are delicious additions to home menus, and they're a popular choice in commercial kitchens too.
You can snack on them straight out of the pod, steam and mash them, or roast them in the oven.
Simply slip them out of their green pods, prep them, and let your creative cooking talent take over.
These five recipes make it easy to get the best out of your freshly shelled fava beans.
1. Smooth Fava Bean Dip
Surprise guests at your next get-together with something different: a silky, smooth veggie dip that's as healthy as it is appetizing.
This fava bean dip is a guilt-free side for snacking, and it's a great spread on sandwiches.
2. Fava Beans With Ricotta Toast
Enjoy a taste of spring with ricotta toast topped with fresh fava beans.
Make your next brunch or lunch special by crowning the traditional toast favorite with deliciously marinated broad beans.
3. Spicy Fava Bean Soup
Kick up the flavor in fava bean soup with spices that really warm up appetites.
This recipe blends broad beans and tomatoes in a savory soup seasoned with cumin, coriander, garlic and allspice.
4. Chef Salad With Fava Beans
Professional chefs appreciate the versatility of broad beans in everything from appetizers to entrees.
Follow their lead with an upscale artichoke and fava bean salad served at one of New York's finest dining establishments.
5. Greek Fava Bean Stew
This hearty vegetable stew serves up flavorful fava beans with traditional Greek style.
After an overnight soak, the fava beans are slowly simmered with tomatoes, onions, fresh parsley and cumin.
6. Rigatoni With Spring Vegetables
Celebrate spring with a pasta entree that's light, satisfying and a true example of photogenic food.
Tender rigatoni is the perfect base for three of spring's most notable vegetables: English peas, sugar snap peas and field-fresh fava beans.
How to Select Fava Beans
Our growing season for fava beans here at Hitchcock Farms begins in the late spring and lasts into early fall.
We harvest and ship the broad beans to foodservice operations across the country and Canada.
We recommend purchasing the legumes during this time to ensure peak freshness. Use these tips to select the best fava beans for your kitchen pantry.
Color – Look for fava bean pods that are light to bright green.
Shape – The pods should be well-developed and evenly shaped.
Flavor – Smaller fava beans are the sweetest, while larger beans taste earthier.
Freshness – When opened, the downy lining of a fresh pod feels moist.
How to Store Fava Beans
Home and commercial kitchens differ in size, but they both share an important goal when it comes to fresh produce: making sure vegetables are properly stored to preserve flavors and textures.
It's easy to apply that culinary principle to fresh broad beans. These simple tips for storing fava beans help the legumes retain their sweet taste and creamy mouthfeel.
Refrigerate Fava Bean Pods – Place fava bean pods in a paper bag or perforated plastic bag, and store them in your refrigerator's crisper drawer. Their fresh flavor should last for a week to 10 days.
Chill Cooked Fava Beans – You can also prep the legumes now for use in recipes later. Shell and blanch fresh fava beans, and then peel. Refrigerate in plastic bags or airtight containers for three to five days.
Freeze Cooked Fava Beans – Freshly cooked broad beans can be store in the freezer for as long as 12 months. After blanching and peeling, seal them in freezer bags or shallow airtight containers. Thaw and enjoy the convenience of pre-cooked fava beans anytime.
Hitchcock Farms: Your Trusted Supplier for Fresh, Premium Fava Beans
The next time you're preparing fava beans, imagine how much the little legume was appreciated thousands of years ago.
Their earthy flavor and silky texture earned them a permanent place on ancient menus.
Today, we also appreciate the rich nutritional value they bring to the table.
It's our pleasure to grow, pack and ship fresh fava beans all across the country and Canada. We're proud of our operations and our products here in the heart of the Salinas Valley.
From our fields to your table, you can trust Hitchcock Farms to always supply our very best.
