Fresh Frozen

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Fresh spring produce has only barely begun to trickle into markets, and in these parts especially, the best that one can really hope for are a few slender stalks of green asparagus. Though a lovely pick to be sure, that isn’t saying much, since asparagus is season-less according to my local grocery store… And whoever wrote up that chart of seasonal produce should really get their head examined, by the way. Regardless, the mere idea of spring veggies has me captivated, and I’ve become quite smitten with frozen fava beans after a number of surprisingly successful preparations. Besides being available all year ’round, [Unlike asparagus, apparently. Yikes…] they’re already shelled, so it takes half as much work to get them on the table. With a quick thaw in hot water, the skins practically slide right off, and they’re every bit as tender and delicious as those straight from the fields.

Yes, I use frozen fava beans, and I’m not ashamed to say so. Besides, who could possibly turn their nose up at these edible emeralds when they clean up so nicely?

Writing a recipe for a salad seems rather silly- A bit contrived, really. Salads are meant to be a grab bag of what ever is fresh and available, so naturally, feel free to mix and match ingredients at will. The way the fava beans, greens, and bright, spicy lemon dressing melded was simply so divine, it would have been a shame not to record how it all came together.

Yield: Makes 6 – 8 Servings

Spring Fava Bean Salad

Spring Fava Bean Salad

The way that tender fava beans, greens, and bright, spicy lemon dressing meld together in this mixture sets it apart from the average leafy green salad.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Spring Fava Bean Salad:

  • 1 1/2 Cups Shelled and Skinned Fava Beans, Fresh and Blanched or Frozen and Thawed
  • 1 Skinny Leek (1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced)
  • 2 Tablespoons Toasted Pine Nuts, or Chopped Cashews
  • 1 12-Ounce Bag Frozen Artichoke Hearts, Thawed
  • 9 Ounces Fresh Baby Spinach

Spicy Lemon Dressing:

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 1 Teaspoon Nanami Togarashi, or a Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, to Taste
  • Pinch Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Although you can probably figure out what to do with the above ingredients, here’s how it all goes down: Prep all of your veggies and toss together, leaving only the spinach separate. Set aside.
  2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, leaving the olive oil out until last, and slowly drizzle it in while continuously whisking to form a vinaigrette. Toss the bulk of the veggies with the dressing; You may have a little bit extra, depending on your tastes. Simply serve that on the side for guests to add as they desire.
  3. Pile the plain spinach into a large bowl, and place the dressed vegetables in a mound in the center. Serve, and toss at the table, if you like.

Notes

In case you can't find frozen fava beans, feel free to use shelled edamame or lima beans instead.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 96mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Salads and Sides

25 thoughts on “Fresh Frozen”

  3. Surely you should add more lemon juice to that! It’ll make it a lot sprightlier. It’s weird, most dressing recipes I can hardly taste the vinegar/lemon juice — it just tastes like spiced oil! :-P

  8. I know some people turn their noses up at frozen veggies…but really it’s WAY better than buying unseasonal produce! fava beans also freeze particularly beautifully…allowing us to have this fabulous spring salad even though they’re not QUITE seasonal yet. Love!

  9. I have tried frozen fava beans in the past and recently tried fresh fava beans. The latter is good of course but I thought frozen fava beans are equally good and less prep. work required :P

  11. Should I assume the fava beans are cooked? Although you say fresh or frozen, so I guess they must be raw….didn’t think you could eat those things raw. I noticed our farmer’s market has had fresh fava beans lately…..so when I get some, I’ll have to try out this recipe. Looks delicious!

    1. Oh, good thinking! I didn’t cook mine since they were frozen and ready to eat once skinned, but if you’re working with fresh fava beans, they should indeed be lightly cooked. I’ll go amend the recipe asap.

  13. I always use frozen fava (broad) beans, as I’ve never seen them fresh near me. And I always eat the chewy skin after cooking too ;) This looks lovely!

  14. I can’t wait to make the Lemon Dressing. I’m a huge fan of lemon and I can imagine putting this on a ton of things. Thanks for the well wishes you left on my blog.

  16. Would you believe that I’ve never had fava beans?! This salad looks gorgeous & so delicious. Anything with artichokes + pine nuts + lemon = Count me in!

  18. Say it proud, Hannah :)
    There seems to be a lot of shame or guilt involved in buying frozen foods that I feel is really unnecessary! Frozen foods are more cost-efficient than fresh, often just as healthful and can taste just as good when prepared properly. Obviously, fresh vegetables are wonderful and probably necessary – that’s why this salad seems like a great blend of the two.
    I’ll definitely try this tomorrow when I go shopping if I can find some artichokes. Sounds great.
    PS I love salad recipes!

  19. I learned about fava beans last year after reading lots of blogs. So I ordered and planted some seeds and reaped the rewards. Shelling beans is not in my nature. Skinning beans is not in my nature either! After all the work of growing, shelling and skinning fava beans, I was pretty sad with the small handful of food I was left with. So from now on, I’m going to buy shelled, frozen beans. It’s worth my sanity.

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