Fava Bean

Serve these as you would falafel: in a pita, on top of a salad, or as a snack with a dip.

The herbaceous sauce for this fresh vegetarian aguachile comes together swiftly in your blender.

Fava beans, green beans, and snow peas lend crunch to this salad; toss in a versatile vinaigrette for an easy, healthy lunch all week long. 

Yakitori means “grilled chicken,” but you can also add seasonal vegetables and boiled quail eggs to skewers for grilling.

The fleeting vibrance of spring vegetables is captured in this citrus-and-garlic-infused marinade, turning delicate produce into a versatile condiment.

Frozen fava beans make easy work of this fragrant rice dish, and you could also replace them with shelled lima beans or edamame instead.

Any side dish or salad that includes corn is pretty, but fava beans and striking-looking breakfast radishes—with their elongated shape, rosy red color, and creamy-looking root ends—make this dish more appealing and appetizing than most. Like most chefs, I love favas, but if you can’t find them or think they are too much trouble, replace them with lima beans.

Fava beans most likely require a trip to a farmers’ market and take a while to peel. Sugar snap peas cut into bite-size pieces are a fine alternative.

In Peru, Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains cultivated by our ancestors, which we are once again sharing with the world.

This risotto is dotted with beautiful green spring vegetables and makes a lovely vegetarian lunch or dinner. Delicious with a roasted beet and arugula salad, it's simple to make. There is no arduous stirring; the rice cooker takes care of everything.

Fresh fava beans have been a mainstay of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean diets for centuries, and lately they have been enjoying popularity in the United States. Bright green and firm-fleshed with a sweet and mildly nutty flavor, they resemble lima beans but are really more like an overgrown split pea. Fava beans are a bit time-consuming, as they require double peeling: first the outer pod, and then the hull that protects this little spring gem. Once you're done, you will have more debris than edible beans, but it's worth it, as this recipe will demonstrate. The gentle butter poaching method for the shrimp yields tender, succulent meat that contrasts beautifully with the spring fava bean.

Not your ordinary side of rice. Two types means more textures to layer with crunchy nuts and tender beans.

Can't find favas? Double up on peas. No pea shoots? Use mĊche or baby spinach instead.

Browned for deep flavor (and good looks), then braised for succulent results, this spring chicken has it all.

This salad can be made with raw fava beans, as long as they're especially fresh. But blanching them quickly makes them much easier to peel.

With favas, you have two choices: Buy fresh, or buy frozen ones at Middle Eastern markets.

Risotto only sounds intimidating—if you can stir, you can make it. Poaching the eggs ahead of time should quell any lingering performance anxiety.

This salad is a beautiful chorus of peas and pods. Cook all the beans in the same pot so you boil the water only once.

Fava beans, asparagus, and sugar snap peas are the essence of the season in this vibrant spring dish with a citrus twist; the caramelized shallots are a sweet counterpoint to the zesty zing of the fresh lemon. While this makes a terrific side dish for roasted meats like ham, turkey, or chicken, you can also toss it with pasta or rice for a main-course meal.