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Grilled Fava Bean Pods with Chile and Lemon
© John Kernick

Grilled Fava Bean Pods with Chile and Lemon

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  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 15 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 6
  • •FAST
  • •HEALTHY
  • •STAFF-FAVORITE
  • •VEGETARIAN

"Trust me," says A16's chef Nate Appleman about this unorthodox recipe. He quickly grills whole fava beans, tosses them with a crushed red pepper dressing and serves them hot. They can be eaten whole—the tender pods develop a lovely charred flavor on the grill—but it's also easy to eat them in the traditional way by popping the beans out of their pods and outer skins.

  1. 1 pound very fresh fava beans in the pods, rinsed
  2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  3. 1 scallion, thinly sliced crosswise
  4. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or Chinese chile sauce
  5. Kosher salt
  6. Lemon wedges, for serving
  1. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss the fava bean pods with the olive oil. Grill the favas over high heat for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and charred in spots. Return the beans to the bowl and toss with the scallion, crushed red pepper and salt. Transfer to a platter and serve with lemon wedges.