Menu & categories

Browse all our categories:

More from us:

Sprache

Login

Broad beans

Protein-rich legume with a delicate, nutty aroma

Wiki about broad bean Nutri-Score A Vegan Yes Gluten-free Yes Lactose-free Yes Nut-free Yes
NUTRITION / 100 g
88 kcal 7.6 g Protein 18.0 g Kohlenhydrate 0.7 g Fett

Introduction

Broad beans in pod and shelled
Broad beans, also known as fava beans, field beans or broad favas, have accompanied me since my childhood in Europe. As a 35-year-old editor who professionally deals a lot with culinary traditions and food trends, I see in this ingredient a rare intersection between hearty home cooking, modern plant-based cuisine and sustainable agriculture. In my family broad beans often ended up on the table in spring with bacon, fresh herbs and a splash of vinegar. Today I also like to cook them vegan with lemon zest, olive oil and mint. This bean is versatile, nutritious and surprisingly modern – a real comeback vegetable.

Botanically the broad bean belongs to the species Vicia faba. Its sturdy, fleshy seeds sit in long, cottony-lined pods. Harvest time in Europe usually begins in late spring and runs into summer. Freshly harvested the beans glow in a rich green; later – dried or frozen – they change colour but retain much of their characteristic nutty aroma. A colleague of mine who grew up on an organic farm in northern Germany still raves about the first pot of broad-bean stew of the season: for him it was the culinary starting signal for summer.

What makes broad beans so interesting? On the one hand their taste: it is soft, buttery, slightly earthy and yet fresh when the beans are young. On the other hand their nutrients: broad beans provide plant protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium. I like to take them with me on long editorial days because they really fill you up without feeling heavy. And when things need to be quick, a salad of blanched beans, tomatoes, red onions and a dressing of lemon juice, tahini and cumin is enough.

Many readers ask me whether broad beans always need to be double-peeled. The answer: it depends. Very young beans can be eaten, after a short blanch, together with the thin outer skin, which intensifies texture and colour. Riper beans benefit from shelling to bring out tenderness and delicacy

Availability & types

Availability and types of broad beans

Broad beans, also known as field beans, fava or by their botanical name Vicia faba, are a very ancient crop. People cultivated them thousands of years ago because they are robust, nutritious and versatile. Today you can find broad beans in many countries around the world: in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Asia and also in the Americas. Their availability depends greatly on the season, the cultivation method and the form in which they are sold – fresh, dried, frozen or canned.

Origin and cultivation
Broad beans probably originate from the Mediterranean region and the Near East. From there they spread to Europe. In Germany they grow mainly in temperate regions because they tolerate cooler temperatures well. Broad beans do not like very hot summers, but they are quite cold-tolerant and can be sown early in the year. For farmers and gardeners they are useful because they fix nitrogen in the soil. That means they help make the soil more fertile – good for the plants that grow there later.

Availability through the year
Fresh broad beans have a clear season:

  • Fresh: In Central Europe usually from May to July/August. You will find them at weekly markets and well-stocked supermarkets. Fresh pods are green, fleshy and contain the large seeds.
  • Frozen: Available almost all year round. They are blanched after harvest and frozen to preserve colour and nutrients.
  • Dried: Also available year-round. Dried beans are shelf-stable and ideal for stews, but require soaking and cooking time.
  • Canned/Jarred: Available year-round, pre-cooked and ready to use. Milder in flavour but very practical.
Types, varieties and variants
There are

Details & nutrition

Property Value
Unit g
Average weight per piece 1.2
Calories per 100 88
Protein per 100 7.6
Carbohydrates per 100 18.0
Sugar per 100 1.8
Fat per 100 0.7
Saturated fat per 100 0.1
Monounsaturated fat 0.1
Polyunsaturated fat 0.3
Fiber per 100 5.4
Vitamin C (mg) per 100 33
Vitamin D (IU) per 100 0
Calcium (mg) per 100 37
Iron (mg) per 100 1.5
Nutri-Score A
CO₂ footprint 0.5 kg CO2e/kg
Origin Europe/Regional depending on season
Gluten-free Yes
Lactose-free Yes
Nut-free Yes
Vegan Yes
Note May trigger favism in sensitive individuals (G6PD deficiency); cook thoroughly.

Technical & scientific information

Broad beans (Vicia faba), also known as field beans, fava beans or horse beans, are among the oldest cultivated legumes in the world. Botanically they belong to the genus Vicia within the family Fabaceae (legumes). The plant is characterised by an upright habit, angular hollow stems, pinnate leaves and conspicuous flowers with characteristic dark markings. The elongated, fleshy pods contain large, angular seeds that are processed in many ways when fresh or dry. As a nitrogen-fixing crop, broad beans are agronomically important: in symbiosis with rhizobia they fix atmospheric nitrogen and improve soil fertility.

Taxonomy and morphology
- Scientific name: Vicia faba L.
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Growth form: annual to biennial herbaceous plant, 0.5–1.8 m high
- Flowers: white to cream with dark markings; zygomorphic; predominantly insect-pollinated (especially bumblebees)
- Fruits: thick-fleshed pods with 2–8 large seeds; seed coat green to brown, depending on variety

Origin, domestication and distribution
Archaeobotanical finds date Vicia faba in the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean already to the Neolithic. From there the crop spread to Europe, North Africa and Asia. In Central Europe it is attested since the Bronze Age and played a central role in the diet until the introduction of New World beans (Phaseolus spp.). Today broad beans are grown globally in temperate climates, with production centres in Europe, China, Ethiopia and North Africa.

Varieties and usage types
Numerous landraces and bred cultivars exist, differentiated by seed size, tannin and vicine/convicine content, plant sturdiness and maturity time. Vegetable types are used fresh or frozen, forage and grain types as protein carriers in animal feed or for the production of plant-based proteins

Wiki entry for: broad bean
Back to top
Active now: 11 visitors of which 2 logged-in members in the last 5 minutes