The mix of herbs, greens and fresh beans in this salad gives it a crisp, fresh flavor that’s like Spring distilled into a starter.

If you don’t have both favas and fresh chickpeas available, you can easily substitute more of one for the other.

Wine Pairing: Pinot Gris

Ingredients:                                     Makes 6 Servings
1 cup Fava Beans, removed from pods
1 cup Fresh Garbanzo Beans (aka fresh chickpeas), removed from pods
1/4lb of Bacon, cut into strips (lardons)
1 bunch Arugula
1 bunch Watercress
Leaves of ½ bunch Fresh Mint
Leaves of ½ bunch Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
1 Pinch of Salt
1/8lb Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Directions:
1. Blanch the fava beans and garbanzo beans in boiling salted water for two minutes.  Drain off the hot water water and shock them in ice water.  Peel off the white/light green inner hulls from the fava beans.

2. Render the fat out of the bacon in a frying pan over low heat.  Once the bacon has crisped, remove it and the fat from the pan.

3. In a large bowl combine 3 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat, the lemon juice, the black pepper and salt.  Whisk into an emulsion, then add the herbs, greens, and beans to the bowl.

4. Use a vegetable peeler to shave very thin strips from the parmigiano reggiano into the salad.  Taste & add salt.

5. Serve.

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Browse More:
Fresh Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean Recipes
Fava Bean Recipes
Exotic Vegetable Recipes
Bean & Lentil Recipes