Ok, let’s just get this out of the way. Anyone who has seen/read Silence of the Lambs immediately thought of Anthony Hopkins and his fava beans and chianti reference upon reading the title of this post. I know I did. So there it is! This was my first time trying fava beans.
So what are fava beans? They are mild-tasing legumes that are part of the pea family. They’re kind of half-way between a pea and a bean. You can eat them raw, cooked, or crunchy. They are also known as broad beans. They are super strong and resilient to grow, so they are grown year-round on their thick stalks. They have an exterior skin that needs to be removed before eating. Fava beans pick up flavor well, so you can season them with whatever you like. You can use fava beans in place of chickpeas in almost any recipe. Fava beans have a lot of health benefits too! They are full of fiber, folate, and manganese. They also may help lower cholesterol. They are low in fat and contain protein, magnesium, iron, and potassium. Interestingly, they are rich in levodopa (L-dopa) which your body converts to dopamine. This is particularly helpful for those battling Parkinson’s Disease, which causes the death of the dopamine-producing brain cells. Sadly, I lost my mom to Parkinson’s in 2018, so I know a little about the disease. Research on the link between this and fava beans is limited, however. Fava beans also may help prevent birth defects, contain immune-boosting nutrients, and are benficial for bone health. There are so many good things about fava beans!!! Research credit: heathline.com and tasteofhome.com.
Let’s get started!! In addition to fava beans (I went with dried beans, soaked and simmered them), you will need leeks, an onion, spinach, diced tomatoes (or chopped up tomatoes on your own), quinoa, cumin, fenugreek seeds, garlic, and turmeric. Is anyone confused by leeks? I’ll try to clear it up a little. The best part to use in a dish like this is the lower, light green part, just below the stalks. For this dish, I chopped them up finely and steamed them for a bit to soften them up. Don’t throw out the stalks, though! They are great to use in making stock!
To start, I cooked the quinoa. Add a pinch of fenugreek seeds to the cooking quinoa.
Whle the quinoa is cooking, add chopped onions and garlic to a pan and brown it.
Add the beans and tomatoes to a pot and warm them up, adding the turmeric and cumin and a little water to give some steam.
Once everything is done cooking, combine it all in the pot, add the spinach, and stir it up good. You are now ready to enjoy this unique dish!
