Moroccan Broad Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 kg broad beans, shelled
2 cloves garlic, chopped to a paste
1 tsp freshly chopped oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
150 ml extra-virgin olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
handful mint, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp paprika or chilli powder or sumac to garnish

Summary

I can recommend this recipe for the brief but delicious broad bean season. And as it cooks up the beans longer than usual to make a purée, it’s a great recipe to use for the larger pods as the season progresses. And no double peeling the beans! Adapted slightly from Stephanie Alexander’s Cooks Companion, where it’s titled with the traditional name of Byessar.

Moroccan Broad Bean Dip

Boil beans in lightly salted water for 10-15 minutes until quite tender. Reserve a cup of the cooking water, then drain the beans. In a food processor (or bowl if you are using a stick blender or potato masher), combine 1/2 cup of the cooking water with the beans, garlic, oregano, cumin, oil, salt and pepper. Blend until your happy with the texture of the purée. Use some of the remaining cooking water if it needs a bit more liquid.

Taste and adjust the seasonings. I added a generous amount of lemon juice, but Stephanie doesn’t mention it so experiment for yourselves on that. I also included a couple of stems of mint, chopped finely. Transfer to a wide serving bowl and garnish with some additional olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika on top. Ground sumac or chilli or a combo of all would also be delicious.

Great with fresh or toasted pita, raw veggies and a bowl of olives and pickles.