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–+ servings

Fava Beans & Crazy Feta

Fava beans are my favorite gift of spring and early summer. They are fun to peel, delicious to eat, and filled with protein-y goodness while being a different consistency than your typical bean. I equate them to edamame, which if that's all you have access to, is a perfectly great sub for this recipe.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fava beans , in their pods
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 20 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup skyr or greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta

Instructions 

  1. Remove the beans from all the fava bean pods.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath to the side. Season with a pinch of salt.
  3. Add the beans to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to the ice bath. Use your fingers to gently pull off the second jacket around the bean (they should be clear and pliable at this point) and transfer the beans to a medium-sized bowl.
  4. Place a small pot of butter warmer over medium-low heat. Add the garlic cloves and cover with the olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt. Let the oil come to just below a simmer and cook undisturbed for 20-25 minutes, or until the garlic is soft throughout.
  5. Add the basil and mint to the bowl with the fava beans. Squeeze over 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and season with red pepper flakes, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of salt.
  6. When the garlic is ready, add all but 3 of the garlic cloves into the favas. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the garlic oil as well.
  7. In a separate bowl, add the remaining 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of garlic oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, yogurt and feta. Stir and mash to combine in to a crazy feta sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. To plate, spread the crazy feta on a large dish. Pile the favas and garlic on top. Serve with the crustiest of bread.