Here’s that famous Greek fava bean recipe! This is a soft and super smooth yellow pea dip from the Greek mediterranean island of Santorini… Serve this pea dip lukewarm, sprinkle it with a fragrant olive oil and a handful of chopped onion!
Lush!
I fell in love with this dip about 6 years ago.
We were visiting the glorious Greek island of Santorini in the mediterranean sea.
During our stay we tried loads of fava versions in several restaurants all over town.
Santorini
And every time we would stumble upon another fava bean dip, and they all had a different twist.
I reckon that it just depends on how the chef likes his fava bean dip!
The winner?
We had the best fava dip in Naoussa, a vibrant blue and white restaurant in Fira.
Why was that the best one? Just because their bean dip was lukewarm. Their creamy yellow split pea puree had the perfect texture and consistency. It was also light, sprinkled with good quality olive oil and some freshly chopped red onion. Very appetizing.
Hands down the best I have tasted in Santorini!
Easy Greek Fava Bean Recipe
Be aware though.
You can find bunches of yellow ‘fava’ beans in the tourist shops and minimarkets in Santorini. However these are not the real fava beans but simply yellow split peas. And therefore they are also extremely overpriced.
Don’t be fooled, avoid the fake merchandise!
The real fava beans are a true delicacy. They grow in Santorini’s microclimate and are almighty expensive. Why? Because the annual harvest of real fava beans is very small.
Yellow Split Peas
You can of course use yellow split peas as a substitute for the Greek fava peas.
They are available in very larger supermarket. It is your best option if you want to make this fava dip but you can’t any real fava beans around where you live.
Do you love mediterranean Greek dishes?
Then you should also check out a bunch of other Greek recipes of mine: chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, avgolemono soup, moussaka and feta prawn saganaki!
Enjoy!
Easy Greek Fava Bean Recipe
Here's a famous Greek fava bean recipe: a yellow pea dip from Santorini... Served lukewarm and topped with olive oil and chopped sweet onion!
- 9 oz yellow split peas (250 g)
- a handful red onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- good quality olive oil
- 1 tbsp capers (optional)
- pepper
- salt
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1) Soak the split peas in cold water for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight).
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2) Bring 2 cups (480 ml) of lightly salted water to a good boil. Drain the soaked peas. Add them to the boiling water.
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3) Turn the heat. Simmer the peas for 20 minutes. They should fall apart in the end. Add extra water if necessary.
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4) Strain the cooked peas in a colander. Let them cool a bit until they are lukewarm.
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5) In a blender, blend the garlic and half of the cooked peas. Add a little olive oil until you get a rich, glossy but firm puree.
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6) Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl. Stir in the other half of cooked peas and mix well. Season with pepper, salt and a couple of drops of vinegar to taste. Scoop it into a deep plate or serving bowl. Garnish with the chopped onion and capers (optional). Sprinkle with olive oil. Serve lukewarm.
So glad you enjoyed φάβα (fava) in Santorini.
In Greek, the work φάβα (fava) means split peas not decept. The yellow split peas are famous. The meze called fava is made across Greece.
Κουκιά (koukia) is Greek for what is known in English as fava beans. KouKOfava (κουκόφαβα) is fava bean dip.