Fava beans aren't the only edible part of the plant! Use this recipe to enjoy the flavorful, nutty, nutritious, and earthy fava bean plant leaves too!
Prep time: PT20M
Rating
4.71 stars (17 reviews)
Ingredients
2 cups Fava bean leaves
1/2 cup Grated parmesan cheese ( (Vegan variation: substitute with 1 tbsp nutritional yeast and/or a handful of raw cashews))
1/2 cup Walnuts ( (Nut allergies? Substitute with 1/4 cup hemp seeds or sunflower seeds))
1/3 - 1/2 cup Olive oil*
1/3 - 1/2 cup Lemon juice*
2 - 3 cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Salt
Steps
Wash fava bean greens (and basil, if used) and remove leaves from tough stems.
In a blender or food processor, combine the listed ingredients listed.
*Start with 1/3 cup each of lemon juice and olive oil, and add more as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Blend until smooth.
Enjoy! Store in the refrigerator, and use within one week.
Add to freezer-safe wide-mouth jars if you intend to preserve it.
Reviews
Ali Abdul Rahim on 2023-04-04 (5 stars): I just made this recipe using little carrots that I pulled from the garden when I needed to thin my rows out a little bit. I left the little tiny carrots on the bottom of the green leafy tops, and it's very tasty! I confess that I did add a ton more cheese, though! Haha! Thank you for a great recipe! ❤️
Gene @The California Table on 2022-04-06 (5 stars): thanks for the great recipe! growing favas for the first time this year and enjoying them a lot. even just cooked in a little olive oil, they are delicious. Do you ever cook the pods? I tried shredding them up a bit and cooked the pods with the shelled beans...but it wasn't very tasty. What would you suggest? I really appreciate your blog and get so much out of it, information and inspiration. Thank you:)
Jasmine on 2021-06-02 (5 stars): I've never had Fava greens before but i got some in a csa box today- they're delicious! I didn't have lemon juice so I used a little bit of a yuzu hot sauce and a bit of water thin it. I also toasted the walnuts. Thanks for the recipe, the pesto turned out perfect!
Janie on 2020-04-11 (5 stars): Thanks for the recipe...maximize my fava plants and taste so good!
