A Broad Bean Salad (Fava Bean Salad) with peas, feta and lemon is a perfect summer salad. It takes just 10 minutes and can be served as a starter, side or lunch dish. Broad beans are in season roughly from the end of June until the end of September. You can buy them fresh or frozen and they have a lovely, nutty, slightly sweet bite that pairs well with the sharp, contrasting flavours of feta.
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For more easy summer salads, check out this Moroccan couscous salad, which also uses fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.
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Ingredients
This 10 minute bean salad uses just six simple ingredients.
- Broad Beans (Fava Beans) - You can use fresh broad beans in season or frozen beans. If you are using canned beans, choose ones in water and not a vinaigrette, as this will change the flavour. Rinse canned beans well before using.
- Peas - in season in summer, use fresh or frozen.
- Feta - a strong flavoured greek cheese
- Pomegranate seeds - you can buy these fresh in the fruit section.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to prepare fresh Broad Beans
Open the pods to release the beans inside. If the beans are small (about 1-2 cm in diameter), they can be cooked straight away. If they are older and therefore larger, the outer skin can be tough, so it's a good idea to remove this. To do this, place the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Squeeze the bean slightly to split and remove the outer skin. There will be another skin underneath. This is called double-podding. They can now be cooked.
Instructions
You can use frozen broad beans or fresh ones for this summer salad. For details on how to prepare fresh broad beans, see above.
Add the beans and peas to lightly salted water, bring to a boil, and boil for 3-5 minutes until tender. Don't overcook the beans, or they will turn hard.
Drain the beans and peas and rinse with cold water. This stops them cooking further and helps keep the colour.
Empty the beans and peas into a bowl and crumble over the feta cheese.
Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil and toss the salad.
Add fresh mint leaves.
Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and lemon zest and stir everything together, ready to serve.
Top Tip
Don't overcook the beans, or they will be tough. Check them during cooking if you are not sure.
Variations
A broad bean salad is very versatile. It's always a good idea to use ingredients you already have as a way of managing food waste. Here are some other flavours that go well.
- Cheese - goats cheese or thinly sliced parmesan cheese also goes well as they have a nice sharp flavour.
- Vegetables - asparagus, tenderstem broccoli, sliced radish or rocket leaves (argula)
- Dressing - use something with a sharp flavour to contrast the sweetness, such as a white wine vinegar.
- Herbs - instead of mint you can use parsley
- Toppings - add pine nuts, black olives, or finely chopped red onion.
Serving Suggestion
A broad bean salad makes a lovely starter, lunch idea, or as a side to grilled fish such as pan fried plaice , sea-bream fillets, or simple grilled haddock fillets. You could also serve it with a cold roasted chicken breast or salmon fillet.
Storage
Bean and pea salad is always best served fresh, but will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you've used fresh mint leaves, they may wilt slightly, but you can replace them and still use up the rest of the salad. If you get rid of mint leaves, put them on a compost or in a food waste bin. For more help with home composting, check out this guide on How to Compost Food Scraps.
Sustainability
Using food in season is the best way to enjoy it and has the lowest carbon footprint. For more inspiration check out these easy Summer Recipes
Related
Looking for other simple summer recipe ideas, Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with this summer salad.
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📖 Recipe
Broad Bean Salad with Peas, Feta and Mint
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Ingredients
- 200 g Broad Beans
- 200 g Garden peas
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juiced and zest
- 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- 50 g Feta Cheese crumbled
- 10 g Fresh Mint Leaves chopped or leave whole
- 40 g Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Add the beans and peas to lightly salted water, bring to a boil, and boil for 3-5 minutes until tender. Don't overcook the beans, or they will turn hard.200 g Broad Beans, 200 g Garden peas
- Drain the beans and peas and rinse with cold water. This stops them cooking further and helps keep the colour.
- Empty the beans and peas into a bowl and crumble over the feta cheese.50 g Feta Cheese
- Mix the lemon juice with the olive oil and toss the salad.1 tablespoon Lemon, 3 tablespoon Olive oil
- Add fresh mint leaves.10 g Fresh Mint Leaves
- Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and lemon zest and stir everything together, ready to serve.40 g Pomegranate seeds
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Broad Beans (Fava Beans) - You can use fresh broad beans in season or frozen beans. If you are using canned beans, choose ones in water and not a vinaigrette, as this will change the flavour. Rinse well before using.
- Peas - in season in summer, use fresh or frozen.
- Feta - a strong flavoured greek cheese
Storage
This salad will keep in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. If you've used fresh salad leaves, they may wilt slightly, but you can replace them and still use up the rest of the salad. If you get rid of salad leaves, put them on a compost or in a food waste bin. For more help with home composting, check out this guide on How to Compost Food Scraps.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Sarah
I love this recipe!! Perfect for the summer and great with fish! Thank you x