Fava Bean Mint Bruschetta (Printable)

Creamy fava beans and mint atop charred sourdough for a bright, easy spring starter in 30 minutes.

# What You 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 Suggestions:

01 -
  • Once you’ve smashed those fava beans with plenty of mint, you’ll want to pile this mixture on everything.
  • The smoky, crunchy sourdough transforms simple beans into a dish that impresses with embarrassingly little effort.
02 -
  • If you skip peeling the fava beans, the texture turns oddly tough and you miss their sweet core.
  • The bread should be grilled at the last minute—if it sits, it’ll soften and lose all that irresistible crunch.
03 -
  • Peeling beans right after their ice bath makes the skins slip off with almost no effort.
  • A sprinkle of flaky salt over the finished bruschetta brings out every herb and hint of citrus.
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