# Required Ingredients:
→ Vegetables & Herbs
01 - Shelled fava beans — about 2 cups (10.6 oz)
02 - Garlic — 1 small clove, minced
03 - Fresh mint — 2 tablespoons, finely chopped
04 - Lemon zest — from 1/2 lemon
05 - Fresh flat-leaf parsley — 1 tablespoon, chopped (optional)
→ Dairy
06 - Ricotta or fresh goat cheese — 1/4 cup (approx. 2.1 oz), optional
→ Bread
07 - Sourdough bread — 4 thick slices
→ Pantry
08 - Extra-virgin olive oil — 3 tablespoons, divided
09 - Sea salt — 1/2 teaspoon
10 - Freshly ground black pepper — 1/4 teaspoon
11 - Fresh lemon juice — 1 teaspoon
# Preparation Steps:
01 - Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the fava beans and boil 2–3 minutes for fresh or 4–5 minutes for frozen. Drain and immediately plunge into an ice-water bath to stop cooking. Remove the beans from the water and peel away the tough outer skins.
02 - Place the peeled fava beans in a bowl and mash coarsely with a fork until you have a chunky texture. Stir in the minced garlic, chopped mint, lemon zest, parsley (if using), 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
03 - Brush both sides of each sourdough slice lightly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
04 - Over a hot grill pan or barbecue, grill the bread 2–3 minutes per side, until each slice is golden and has light char marks.
05 - If using, spread about 1 tablespoon of ricotta or goat cheese on each warm grilled slice to add creaminess before topping.
06 - Spoon the fava bean and mint mixture generously over the grilled sourdough slices. Garnish with additional mint if desired and serve immediately.
