It was in Greece that I had the chance to discover fava puree.
I’m not a big fan of hummus or dip in general, but I loved this one, served as an appetizer or as a side dish.
The fava puree
Fava lentils, which have a PDO, are grown on the island of Santorini.
The puree that is made from it is mainly served as a mezze, eaten as an appetizer or as a side dish.
With a delicate flavor, it goes well with many dishes.
Fava lentils, a kind of yellow split peas, are rather difficult to find here, so I suggest a quick and easy version of this recipe using white beans.
How to serve this white bean puree
This puree is at its best served slightly warm (a short 30 seconds in the microwave) or at room temperature.
If you keep it in the refrigerator before serving it, it will set a little. If this happen, you can add a little water to soften it.
Delicate, with a good lemony taste, this white bean puree recipe is not only a nice alternative to hummus, but it’s also perfect served to accompany salads, raw vegetables bread or grilled meats.
If served as a dip, add a generous drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges at the time of service.
It can also be garnished with thin strips of red onion, capers or sun-dried tomatoes.
Alternatively, it can be used to garnish a plate as an accompaniment to seafood salad or grilled octopus salad, pork chops, fish, falafel, etc.
Greek fava style white bean puree
A white bean puree, inspired by the greek fava recipe, that is perfect served as an appetizer with bread or as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 can (540 mL) white beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
For serving
- Olive oil
- To taste: paprika, chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges, red onion strips, capers.
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients
- Using a hand blender or food processor, puree until smooth. Add a little water if necessary.
Just before serving
- Just before serving*, garnish with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- To taste, add paprika, chopped fresh parsley, capers or thin strips of red onion.
Notes
* The purée can be served cold or reheated.