Fave e Cicoria

Name: Fave e Cicoria
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 400 g fave secche decorticate (dried split broad beans); 150 g Potato; 1000 ml Water; 800 g cicoria (wild or cultivated chicory); 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 10 g Fine sea salt; 1 clove Garlic

A velvety purée of dried broad beans served alongside bitter simmered chicory and finished with fruity Apulian olive oil.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 60 min
Total: 75 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 430 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g fave secche decorticate (dried split broad beans) — rinsed thoroughly
150 g Potato — peeled and diced small
1000 ml Water — to cover the beans
800 g cicoria (wild or cultivated chicory) — trimmed and washed thoroughly
80 ml Extra virgin olive oil — robust and fruity, ideally Apulian
10 g Fine sea salt — plus extra for boiling greens
1 clove Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pot or terracotta pan
•Large saucepan
•Colander
•Wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 430 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 54 g
fibre: 18 g
protein: 26 g
calories: 430 kcal

Instructions

1
Rinse the dried split broad beans thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear.
2
Place the beans and diced potato into a heavy-bottomed pot and cover with fresh cold water.
3
Bring the water to a gentle boil over medium heat and skim off any white foam that rises.
4
Lower the heat, cover partially, and simmer gently for about one hour until the beans collapse completely.
5
While the beans cook, wash the chicory leaves thoroughly in cold water to remove any garden grit.
6
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the chicory, and cook for eight minutes until tender.
7
Drain the chicory well in a colander, pressing lightly with a spoon to remove excess water.
8
Beat the cooked bean purée vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth and season generously with sea salt.
9
Divide the warm bean purée between shallow bowls and nestle the drained chicory alongside it.
10
Drizzle each bowl generously with robust extra virgin olive oil before serving warm.

Chef's tips

Beat the broad beans with a sturdy wooden spoon rather than an electric blender, which makes the purée unpleasantly gummy. A single small potato cooked with the beans helps create a smooth, velvety consistency without overpowering the bean flavour. Use your best peppery extra virgin olive oil, as it acts as a primary seasoning.

Ingredient substitutions

cicoria (wild chicory) → dandelion greens, Swiss chard or escarole if bitter chicory is unavailable
fave secche decorticate (dried split broad beans) → yellow split peas, though the authentic earthy broad bean flavour will differ

Storage

Store leftover purée and greens separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheating

Reheat the purée gently over low heat with a splash of water, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using unpeeled whole dried fava beans, which will not break down into a smooth purée
•Failing to skim the starchy foam during the initial boil, which can cause boiling over and a muddy taste
•Skipping the generous olive oil finish, which is essential to marry the sweet purée and bitter greens

Serving suggestions

Serve warm in terracotta bowls with slices of toasted rustic sourdough or Altamura breadGarnish with raw red onion slices or pickled green chillies on the side