Fava Bean and Mint Bruschetta (Printable)

Mashed fava beans, mint and lemon piled on smoky grilled sourdough for a bright, spring starter.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables & Herbs

01 - 300 g fresh or frozen fava beans, shelled
02 - 1 small clove garlic, minced
03 - 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
04 - Zest of 1/2 lemon
05 - 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

→ Dairy

06 - 60 g ricotta cheese or goat cheese (optional for added creaminess)

→ Bread

07 - 4 thick slices sourdough bread

→ Pantry

08 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
09 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
10 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 1 tsp lemon juice

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and boil for 2–3 minutes (if fresh) or 4–5 minutes (if frozen). Drain and plunge into ice water. Peel off and discard the tough outer skins.
02 - In a bowl, mash the peeled fava beans with a fork until coarse. Stir in garlic, mint, lemon zest, parsley (if using), 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - Brush sourdough slices lightly with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Grill on a hot grill pan or barbecue for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and charred.
04 - Optional: For extra creaminess, spread ricotta or goat cheese onto the grilled bread before topping with the fava bean mixture.
05 - Spoon the fava bean and mint mixture generously over the grilled sourdough. Serve immediately, garnished with extra mint if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This is the kind of appetizer that gets devoured long before the meal starts (and impresses even picky eaters).
  • The blend of fava beans and mint tastes like springtime in each bite, but is shockingly easy to throw together last minute.
02 -
  • Once, I forgot to peel the outer shells off the beans and wondered why the mash was so tough—never skip that step.
  • Adding the lemon juice at the very end keeps the colors bright and stops the mash from dulling.
03 -
  • If you find extra-large fava beans, give them an extra minute in the pot for perfect tenderness.
  • Rub a cut garlic clove on each toast before piling on the mash for an added whisper of flavor that won't overpower.
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