This easy Fava Bean Dip is creamy and full of rich flavor! Perfect for any party, or spread onto sandwiches or pita bread.
I might have a little bit of an obsession with dips.
Not with just ANY dips, though. Mediterranean dips. I think it all started with this authentic Greek tzatziki I learned to make while I was in Athens. Before I went on that trip, I didn’t even think that I liked tzatziki!
Let’s take a quick tour de dip, shall we?
For when you only have 5 minutes: red pepper and feta dip
For when you need to use up a bunch of basil: hot basil parmesan dip
For when you need to make a boring veggie tray all fancy: turkish nut and yogurt dip
For when all you have in the house is potatoes (and maybe some almonds somewhere in the freezer?): greek potato skordalia
Alright, and for today’s dip, it’s all about that fava.
Here’s where things get a bit confusing. If you’ve ever had traditional Greek fava dip, what you’ve actually eaten was a puree of yellow split peas. Absolutely freakin’ delicious, but that’s besides the point.
This fava bean dip is, in fact, made from fava beans. So it’s different from fava. I discovered this a few years ago when, arriving home from a trip through Greece where I ate more fava than anyone ever should, I took it upon myself to recreate the recipe.
Pretty massive failure, considering I wasn’t even using the right main ingredient, but it led me to this super tasty fava bean dip recipe so I suppose it was a happy accident.
I’ve made this with both canned fava beans as well as from dried beans, and I recommend taking the time to cook your own beans. Plus, it’s kind of hard to find canned fava beans… I had to drive to a halal market on the other side of town just to find them in the first place.
Bob’s Red Mill sells dried fava beans and they are perfect for this recipe. You can get them from Amazon here.
Once you’ve cooked the beans, just toss ’em into the bowl of a food processor along with some garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Blitz it into pureed perfection, scoop it into a bowl, then garnish with pretty toppings.
I love my mini food processor; works perfectly for all of the dips I’ve mentioned! You can get one from Amazon here.
I recommend chopped walnuts, high quality olive oil, and smoked paprika. Now grab some toasted crusty bread and cover with this fava bean spread!
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Here’s the Recipe!
Fava Bean Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked fava beans
- 2 cloves garlic - pressed
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Garnishes: chopped walnuts - smoked paprika, walnut or quality olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cooked beans, garlic, salt, lemon juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well-combined.
- Continue to pulse the machine as you slowly drizzle the olive oil in through the lid opening. Process until smooth.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish as desired and serve with crusty bread or pita chips.
NOTES
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Last week I had to make some finger food for my bookclub vegetarian ladies. I had to work that day and was cracking my head what I can do that is easy and fast. I used your Fava bean dip but use just plain white kidney beans in a can instead. Puree, olive oil, s&p and a drizzle of truffle oil. I smeared this onto some cut up baguette and top with saute kale with some garlic slices and finished with lemon scented olive oil. I was impressed with myself, thanks to you.
Faye