Nothing beats sweet, tender favas in sandwiches, soup, and more.
Elaine Johnson, Loretta Keller, and Jeremy Fox
1 /9Iain Bagwell
Open-Face Fava and Egg Salad Sandwiches
Mashed favas and an exotic mix of spices give the familiar egg salad sandwich a makeover. North African–cookbook author Kitty Morse introduced us to the Tunisian spice blend called tabil, which is easy to make with ingredients that may already be in your pantry.
The pairing of favas and pecorino is a typical springtime dish in Rome—often you’ll see them speared on toothpicks as a snack. Here they’re tossed with chewy farro and cubed salami to make a hearty but still springlike salad.
To keep the color in this mild spring soup bright, use a deep green head of lettuce, cooking it only enough to wilt it, and peel favas shortly before using them.
Slowly cooking young vegetables with olive oil brings out their natural sweetness. Green garlic is very young, mild garlic, picked before the cloves have formed; it resembles a green onion. It’s available in spring at farmers’ markets, but if you can’t find it, double the green onions.