The short season in which broad beans appear, we should make the most of – it will be a great gift for our health. A huge amount of nutrients in this legume will be useful to our body.
Deciding to cook broad beans, first of all, we should focus on the fact that it is not too soft and that it does not bloat us. It is worth knowing better what are the characteristics of this legume, as well as how to treat it, so that you can later delight in its full flavor. With the following information, the preparation of this dish will become easy and enjoyable as never before.
Not everyone knows that broad beans are a real treasure trove of vitamins and nutritional value. Especially for people who do not eat meat, it will be useful to know that in 100 g of broad beans there is as much as 7.6 g of protein! In addition, we will find there, among other things, folic acid, whose daily requirement will provide us with the consumption of just 100 g of broad beans. Young broad beans should be eaten with the skin. It is in the skin that a lot of nutrients are hidden. In broad beans we can find, among others, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc and sodium. Thanks to the high fiber content we can be sure that it will provide us with a long-lasting feeling of satiety. What is more, this vegetable has a very low content of fatty acids, which in combination with protein can mean the ideal product for people on a diet.
There are several methods on how you should cook broad beans. The most popular method is certainly boiling in water, but broad beans will also tolerate being in the microwave. It is also ideal for steaming. Regardless of the cooking method used, we should remember a very important thing; broad beans should not be overcooked. It is definitely best when it is crunchy and slightly firm.
The basic step is to wash broad beans thoroughly. Once this is done, you can proceed to cooking. Put broad beans in a pot and pour water in the ratio of 1:2, which means that for every cup of broad beans will be 2 cups of water. Add not only a teaspoon of salt, but also a teaspoon of sugar to the boiling water. The addition of salt will sharpen the flavor of the broad beans, and the addition of sugar will help us bring out the natural sweetness of this plant. In the case of young broad beans, covered cooking should last about 15 minutes. This time is maximally extended to 40 minutes – in the case of mature broad beans.
You may notice that when cooking broad beans there is a characteristic smell, which is not pleasant for everyone. In order to minimize this smell, it is advisable to add a sprig of dill to the boiling broad beans. Moreover, adding fresh dill will make us get rid of the problem of bloating, so characteristic of legumes. Boiling broad beans can be enriched with a teaspoon of cumin, which will also protect us from the feeling of bloating. Another option is to soak it before cooking. Just pour hot water over broad beans and wait 1.5 hours. After this time we can drain it and pour in fresh, cold water.
The best broad beans can be recognized by their light green, smooth skin. Its natural smell should then be pleasant. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the skin is not wrinkled and does not have any discoloration. The skin of broad beans should only become wrinkled after cooking. Although broad beans can be eaten raw, cooking them (but not overcooking) will certainly improve their flavor.
There are many options for using broad beans. It can be eaten both with and without the peel. Leaving the skin on is advisable especially with young broad beans – with older broad beans, it is best to remove the skin immediately after cooking. Cooked broad beans can be seasoned in many ways. The first is to simply pour melted butter and garlic over it. However, it turns out that broad beans are great with pasta, and also as an ingredient in stuffing for dumplings.
