My favourite Greek Fava recipe is a creamy, soft, sweet, delicious split pea dip. Greek fava also called Santorini Fava , is a simple, healthy and delicious Greek appetizer.
Greek Fava differs from fava dip. In fact, it is not even made from fava beans. It is made of yellow split peas! Their taste is somewhere between a pea and a chickpea. Something like a Greek hummus!
This dish comes from Santorini where Greek fava is grown. There are other places that grow it but due to the volcanic and nutrient-rich soil, Santorini fava is known to have a velvety texture and be sweeter than other fava/split pea beans.
You serve this delicious Greek fava as an appetizer or dip with caramelized onions or chopped onions and a dash of extra virgin olive oil on top with some delicious bread or pita bread on the side!
How to make my favourite Greek Fava recipe
- Put the Fava/yellow split peas in a bowl, pour boiling water over and stir with a wooden spoon until the water becomes dark. Let it soak in the water for 5 minutes.
- Pour off and transfer to a separate bowl. Set aside until needed.
- Meanwhile, chop onions, carrots and leeks.
- Sauté the onion, carrots and leeks in olive oil until soft.
- Then add the water, Fava/yellow split peas, bay leaves, chicken or vegetable stock cubes, sugar and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes until the split peas are completely soft.
- Use a strainer and strain the beans from the liquid. Save the liquid in a bowl.
- Discard the bay leaf. Then add half of the fava (split peas) with the vegetables and some of the liquid in a blender and puree the mixture until smooth. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and mix again. You want it to be like a soft puree as it thickens more when it sits.
If you think your dip is too watery. Puree just the second batch with little or no liquid and mix it with the first. If you like it the way it is, just do the same with the second batch as you did with the first.
- Then taste and add some extra salt and / or lemon juice if needed. Note that the Fava dip will thicken considerably when it cools!
Caramelized onion
- Slice the red onion and fry with a little olive oil and as soon as it starts to caramelize add 1 teaspoon of honey and stir.
- Serve the caramelized onion on top of your Greek Fava dip and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
You can keep your Greek Fava in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
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My favourite Greek Fava recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 large pot
- 1 Mixer/Blender
- 1 strainer
Ingredients
- 1 litre Water (33.8 fl.oz) boiling (to soak the slit peas)
- 250 g Yellow split peas/ Greek Fava (8.8 oz)
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Onion
- 1 Leek
- 6 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- Pepper
- 1 tsp Granulated sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 litre Water boiling
- 2 Vegetable or chicken stock cubes
- 1 Lemon juice (of 1 lemon)
Caramelized onion
- 1 Red onion
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Honey
Instructions
- Put the Fava/yellow split peas in a bowl, pour boiling water over and stir with a wooden spoon until the water becomes dark. Let it soak in the water for 5 minutes.
- Pour off and transfer to a separate bowl. Set aside until needed.
- Meanwhile, chop onions, carrots and leeks.
- Sauté the onion, carrots and leeks in olive oil until soft.
- Then add the water, yellow split peas, bay leaves, chicken or vegetable stock cubes, sugar and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes until the split peas are completely soft.
- Use a strainer and strain the beans from the liquid. Save the liquid in a bowl.
- Discard the bay leaf. Then add half of the Fava (split peas) with the vegetables and some of the liquid in a blender and puree the mixture until smooth. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and mix again. You want it to be like a soft puree as it thickens more when it sits.
- If you think your dip is too watery. Puree just the second batch with little or no liquid and mix it with the first. If you like it the way it is, just do the same with the second batch as you did with the first.
- Then taste and add some extra salt and / or lemon juice if needed. Note that the Fava dip will thicken considerably when it cools!
Caramelized onion
- Slice the red onion and fry with a little olive oil and as soon as it starts to caramelize add 1 teaspoon of honey and stir.
- Serve the caramelized onion on top of your Greek Fava dip and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
Βon appétite
