Nutty fresh fava beans and warm goat or nut cheese combined with spinach on a slice of SWG* baguette complete a healthy Sunday brunch.

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  • Preparation Time

    15 minutes

  • Cooking Time

    30 minutes

  • Difficulty Rating

    1

  • Serves

    8

Total Shares 0

Ingredients

  1. 1 cup / 150 gm fava beans, shelled
  2. 3 Tbsp / 30 ml. olive oil
  3. 8 oz. / 1½ cups / 225 gm baby spinach, lightly steam-blanched
  4. 3 Tbsp. / 7 gm goat or vegan nut cheese, soft
  5. ¼ tsp. / 1¼ ml lemon zest, grated
  6. ½ tsp. / 2½ ml fresh lemon juice
  7. 1 100% whole grain or SWG* baguette (approx. ½ lb. / 250 gm)
  8. 1 garlic clove, sliced
  9. 16 mint leaves, whole or chopped
  10. Salt or substitute to taste
  11. Ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 355°F / 180°C.
  2. In a stockpot, add the fava beans and enough water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes until fava beans are tender. Drain on a colander before transferring to a bowl of ice water.
  3. Peel off the skins of the fava. Place the peeled fava beans in a blender and pulse beat to process. Transfer half of the processed mixture into a bowl.
  4. Stir in 1 tablespoon or 15 ml of the oil, ½ cup or 80 g of the spinach, and all of the cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add to the fava in the food processor; process to a smooth purée. Combine the fava bean mixtures, adding salt (or substitute) and pepper to taste.
  5. Chop the last cup of spinach and add it to the mixture.
  6. Cut the baguette into sixteen diagonal slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet.
  7. Brush or spray (1 squirt per slice) the remaining olive oil over the bread slices. Place in the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes, until crisp and pale golden on both sides.

To serve, spoon the fava bean mixture onto the oiled side of the toasted baguette slices, and garnish top with mint leaves.

Serving size: 2 slices, 2 Tbsp. spread

Exchanges per Serving: 1½ Carb, ½ Protein, 1 Fat

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Comments 16

  1. hwyla

    Unfortunately, I can longer eat spinach. Sadly, since it was my favorite vegetable, it now gives me gout. Would kale be a good exchange? I know it would taste good, but would it work with what you’re trying to achieve? Also, could I switch in kale for recipes asking for collard greens?

  2. Ossie-Sharon

    Hi, LizJaroszczuk. Fava bean is another term for broad bean – it is a large brownish bean that looks like a large brown string bean pod on the outside, and large brown lima beans on the inside. It is recommended to avoid it if you have a g6pd deficiency (you would know already, or you can ask your physician). You can use edamame (green soy beans) instead here. Sprouting is a process that makes the grain, nut, sead, or legume more digestible. You can read more about it here http://www.trimdownclub.com/what-is-swg-bread/.

  3. Ossie-Sharon

    Hi, Linda. Any soft cheese (such as ricotta or feta) will do. Nut cheese is a puree of nuts that have been softened by soaking in water for several hours; often various seasonings are added, and sometimes, the mixture is allowed to ferment for more of a cheese-like flavor.

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