These delicious fava beans caramelize with flavor as they roast. Their sweet slightly crisp salty flavor makes them a winner with grownups and kids! They make an incredible side dish with most meals. Cook them in either the oven or the air fryer!
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Fava beans have taken over the farmer's market lately, and I am excited to see these broad beans. Fava beans (aka broad beans) have two uses. They can be cooked into a side dish, dip, or snack, and it helps farmers out as a cover crop. Cover crops are important as they help rest the soil while adding important nutrients.
You usually buy fava beans in the green pods, and you get to shuck them when you are ready to use the fresh beans in a recipe. If you see them at your farmer's markets, grab them because they grow over a short season.
I am sharing two ways to roast fava beans so you can make them easily with very little prep. First, you can make them traditional, roasting the fresh fava beans in the oven with a bit of olive oil.
You can also make them much quicker by roasting them in your air fryer. Both ways slowly caramelize the beans, adding a delicious sweet flavor.
Why This Roasted Fava Beans Recipe Is Great:
- Make this delicious recipe in only 15 minutes if you use the air fryer.
- Kids make great helpers because peeling the fava beans can be fun!
- You can vary the flavor by using different herbs. I used garlic, salt, and pepper, but you can use all kinds of seasoning flavors! Lemon pepper is another popular flavor.
- Broad beans are high in protein and a good source of fiber, making them a nutritious, healthy snack or side dish.
Ingredient Notes:
This vegan fava beans recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients. Fava beans, olive oil, minced garlic cloves, sea salt, and pepper.
You can add all sorts of seasonings to flavor your fava beans.
Flavor Options:
You can add all sorts of seasonings to flavor your fava beans. Here are some of my favorites
- Sprinkle them with olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Sprinkle them with lemon pepper seasoning.
- Get spicy with some chili powder, cayenne pepper, and lime juice!
- Cook them with sesame oil and sprinkle some gluten free soy sauce over the before serving.
- Sprinkle nutritional yeast over them for a cheesy vegan flavor.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375º F. (Note, air fryer instructions will be below.)
For this roasted beans recipe, you can leave the outer skin on. It is very thick, so if you are planning to make hummus or a dip, you would want to remove the skin and use the inner bean.
Step 1: The first step is to wash and shell your broad beans. The pods are easy to separate and the beans come out easily. I try to enlist my kids to help with this tedious task.
The pods are easy to peel and you can put the beans into a
HINT: Don't toss the pods. They are really great to add to your compost pile!
Step 2: Add the shelled fava bean seeds to a bowl to prepare the fava beans. Combine the minced garlic and olive oil. Add this mixture to the beans along with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Toss to coat all of the beans.
Step 3:
Line a baking sheet or
Be sure they are all flat, and none are stacked on top of each other. This is important so they all roast evenly.
Step 4: Place the pan with the beans into the hot oven. Roast the beans for 10 minutes, then stir them around, so the other side cooks. Roast for an additional 10 minutes or longer. The beans will vary in size; if you have a lot of larger beans, they will need more cooking time to roast.
Serve with those brown bits you scrape off the baking sheet. Note that the skin on the beans will partially split open as they roast. This is completely fine!
Air Fryer Instructions:
Air frying fava beans will give you the same roasted sweet flavor! To make these in your air fryer, here are the simple steps:
- Prepare the fava beans the same way as above.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375º F.
- Place the seasoned fava beans in the air fryer basket. Be sure they are spread out and don't overlap too much. The air needs to circulate around the beans, so they cook evenly.
- Air fry the beans for 7 minutes, then stir the beans to cook the other side.
- Air fry for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Serve them hot.
What to Serve With Fava Beans:
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Fava beans have a similar flavor to lima beans but are larger. They have a slightly creamy, rich flavor, especially when they are roasted.
No, I do not recommend eating fava beans raw. You technically could eat them raw if they are very young.
If you can't find fava beans, you may want to substitute them with lima beans.
Store the cooked beans in an air-tight container. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Also, check out my fava beans web story for more fun fava beans facts.
More Delicious Gluten Free Sides:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
- Kid-Friendly Ginger Peas
📖 Recipe
Roasted Fava Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups shelled fava beans
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt kosher salt is also fine
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º F
- Wash and shell your broad beans. The pods are easy to peel and you can put the beans into a mixing bowl as you go. Rinse the beans with cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- To prepare the fava beans, add the shelled fava bean seeds to a bowl. Combine the minced garlic and olive oil. Add this mixture to the beans along with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Toss to coat all of the beans.
- Line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the fava beans across the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Place the pan with the beans into the hot oven. Roast the beans for 10 minutes then stir them around so the other side cooks. Roast for an additional 10 minutes or longer. The beans will vary in size and if you have a lot of larger beans, they will need more cooking time to roast.
Notes
- Prepare the fava beans the same way as above.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375º F.
- Place the seasoned fava beans in the air fryer basket. Be sure they are spread out and don't overlap too much. The air needs to circulate around the beans so they cook evenly.
- Air fry the beans for 7 minutes, then stir the beans to cook the other side.
- Air fry an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Serve the cooked beans hot.
- Sprinkle them with olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Sprinkle them with lemon pepper seasoning.
- Get spicy with some chili powder, cayenne pepper, and lime juice!
- Cook them with sesame oil and sprinkle some gluten free soy sauce over them before serving.
- Sprinkle nutritional yeast over them for a cheesy vegan flavor.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Courtney Edols
Do you have any advice on dried or frozen fava beans?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Courtney, I haven't tested either. I would assume frozen fava beans would work when thawed, but I have never worked with dried fava beans.