How baking soda can make your fava beans delicious and bright

Preparing to cook fava beans? When shopping, don't forget one important product. Add it to boiling water, and you'll understand why it's crucial. The difference will be visible to the naked eye!

The fava bean season won't last forever, so its fans want to make the most of it. This tasty legume can be an interesting addition to meals and salads, and many people believe it's best eaten "solo." It doesn't matter how you choose to consume it. Either way, you must remember an important rule about cooking fava beans. It's more than important, as you'll understand in a moment.

First, a bit of theory. Fava beans have a high protein content and contain folic acid, potassium, and sodium. Eating them lowers the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, prevents anemia, and supports the heart, intestines, and nervous system. They are an excellent meat substitute, and cooking them is quick and pleasant. There are only two problems, which fortunately are easy to solve.

First: the smell. While cooking fava beans, one can detect quite an unpleasant odour. To avoid this, it's worth adding some spices during cooking. Bay leaves, fresh dill, lemon juice, or reliable caraway seeds work great. And even though these ingredients will solve that problem, there's still another: a disagreeable change in colour. Don't worry; we'll handle that too.

When cooking fava beans, one more important product is worth remembering. We're talking about baking soda. Admit it: how many times has this cheap kitchen ingredient saved you? And it will do so again. A teaspoon added to the boiling water will keep the fava beans from losing their delicious green colour. That's not all. Baking soda will also make your fava beans cook faster, affecting their taste and texture.

Remember, cooking fava beans should be done without a lid. With the addition of baking soda, the whole process shouldn't take more than 8-9 minutes. And it's ready!