Fava

Fava... not fava beans, but the Greek φάβα: yellow split peas, simmered and blended into a silky purée, topped with lemon juice, olive oil, capers, onion, and dried Greek oregano. This is often on the menu at Greek restaurants as a meze spread, but the greatest way to enjoy it at home (I think) is as a main dish. We had it with some octopus on the side, but you can also keep it vegan and serve it with some good bread and olives.
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I like to simmer the fava with grated onion and carrot, which lends a little sweetness. The key to the creamy texture is to blend in olive oil at the end in a steady stream; I use an immersion blender to do this. Of course some people like my Aunt Marina don’t even bother with the blending and enjoy fava in a more “rustic” fashion, skipping the blending and keeping it a little chunky, but with all the same toppings!

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#RECIPE:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small brown onion, grated
1 cup fava (yellow split peas), rinsed
1 carrot, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
1/3 cup olive oil
To serve:
olive oil
thinly sliced red onion
capers
ground black pepper
dried Greek oregano
lemon juice

Heat 1 tbsp oil and onion over medium heat. Cook gently till onion is soft, then add fava, carrot, bay leaf, salt, and water. Simmer gently, covered, until fava is tender and mixture has thickened, 35-45 minutes. Check periodically and stir to ensure it’s not too dry; add more hot water if needed. Simmer uncovered towards the end of cooking if too much liquid remains. (It should resemble a very thick split pea soup!)

Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend fava till smooth. Slowly add 1/3 cup olive oil in a steady stream while blending. Taste for salt and add more, if desired.

Serve fava on individual plates or one large platter topped with olive oil, lemon juice, onion, capers, oregano and pepper.