NewsBite

Advertisement

Broad beans

Mexican spring bean salad.
EASY

Mexican spring bean salad

A fresh and green take on the Mexican four-bean mix.

  • < 30 mins
  • Jessica Brook
Pumpkin and broad bean coconut curry

Pumpkin and broad bean coconut curry

This pumpkin curry is a simple base that can be adapted to lots of different vegetables and meats. I have used broad beans here as they are in season now. Try to get the smaller pods if possible, as they will be more tender and you won't have to double skin them.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Frank Camorra
Spring lamb and lentil soup served with toasted mountain bread, yoghurt and sriracha.

Spiced spring lamb shank and lentil soup

This dish somehow manages to be both warmingly intense and light on its feet, with plenty of vegetables and a gentle layer of spice. While I love quickly blanching and double-podding broad beans for their bright-green and buttery inner beauty, I also love them well-braised like this (and I adore well-cooked chard). Serve with flatbread and a dollop of yoghurt.

  • 2 hrs +
  • Karen Martini
Barbecued tuna steaks with broad beans and olive tapenade.
EASY

Neil Perry's tuna steaks with broad beans and tapenade

Broad bean season is now upon us and these little gems are so worth the double-peel; the beautiful nuttiness they bring to any dish is simply intoxicating. You can use your favourite fish for this, but tuna works well with the intensity of the tapenade, which is also awesome spread on grilled bread as a snack.

  • < 30 mins
  • Neil Perry
Rodney Dunn's roast whole flounder with seaweed butter.

Agrarian Kitchen's roast whole flounder with seaweed butter recipe

I love to eat flounder; it has the sweetest flesh, especially when cooked on the bone. Cooking fish on the bone ensures it retains moisture and when possible it is my preferred way.

  • < 30 mins
  • Rodney Dunn
Advertisement
The warm honey and feta dressing makes this spring-summer salad sing.

Poached chicken, broad bean and zucchini flower salad with honey-feta dressing and all the herbs

This is all the green and glorious parts of spring and summer in a single bowl. It is fresh but so filling with the addition of some fingerling potatoes and a dressing that is equal parts tang, richness and sweet. Given all the soft herbs and leaves in this salad, it is best eaten shortly after making. You can prepare the chicken and the dressing ahead and assemble just before serving.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Spring tabbouleh with peas, asparagus and broad beans.

Green tabbouleh

A salad is a lovely thing to take to a picnic, but no one likes soggy leaves, so I always turn to something more robust. Tabbouleh is the perfect choice. Since it's spring, we're going green! I love the addition of blanched broad beans but the salad will still be lovely without them if you cannot find them.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Soaked broad beans gives this pasta sauce a super-creamy texture.
EASY

Fettuccine with dried broad beans and toasted breadcrumbs

This is a brilliant vegetarian dish, inspired by a recipe I adapted from one of the nonnas in the cookbook Pasta Grannies. Once you've soaked the beans overnight, it's so simple and the sauce's texture is super-creamy. This breadcrumb mixture adds great texture; I use it on most seafood and vegetable pastas when I don't add cheese. I don't think you need cheese, but if you must, some freshly grated parmesan is fine. Serve with a salad and a glass of good wine.

  • 2 hrs +
  • Neil Perry
Cod roe dip with fresh and charred greens.

Taramasalata with charred spring greens and finger lime

I am the first to admit I don't have ready access to finger limes; luckily these days you can buy snap-frozen finger lime pearls. If unavailable, a grate of lemon zest and a hearty squeeze of juice will do the trick. I love peas raw but feel free to cook to your liking to serve with this dish.

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
Ricotta cannelloni with primavera sauce.

Ricotta cannelloni with primavera sauce

There are few dishes more comforting than baked pasta, and this one provides all the satisfying warmth you want on a cold day, while also embracing the first tendrils of spring. This simple sugo-based dish takes on a new dimension with the salad tumbled over the top. Fresh broad beans are always the first ingredient to reset my seasonal mindset.

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Karen Martini

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/topic/broad-beans-l6o