Broad Beans — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Broad Beans is a vegetables available in New Zealand during October, November, December, peaking in November. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy broad beans, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Double-podding (removing the outer pod then the grey inner skin) is extra work but transforms them. The bright green inner bean is a different food.
How to pick a good one
Pods should be plump and firm, not blackened. Smaller beans are sweeter and more tender.
How to store it
Fridge in pod for a few days. Shell before using. Double-pod for best results: blanch then slip off grey skin.
Goes well with
pecorino: A Roman spring combination eaten raw: broad beans scooped from their pods with young pecorino. The cheese's salt and sharpness contrasts with the bean's fresh, grassy sweetness in a way that's better than cooking either.
mint: Mint's cool freshness contrasts with broad bean's earthy sweetness. A Middle Eastern and Mediterranean pairing used in salads and dips.
lemon: Acid brightens broad bean's slightly heavy, starchy flavour. The combination is used in Mediterranean cooking to make broad beans taste lighter and more alive.
prosciutto: Salt and fat against broad bean's earthy freshness. An Italian spring antipasto that requires no cooking beyond double-podding the beans.
Recipes
Broad Bean Bruschetta
Spring on toast.
Ingredients: 300g broad beans (double-podded), 50g pecorino, handful mint, 1 tbsp olive oil, squeeze lemon, toast
Method: Blanch podded beans 2 min. Slip off grey skins. Roughly mash half. Mix with whole beans, shaved pecorino, torn mint, oil, lemon. Pile on toast.
Broad Bean & Mint Risotto
Green, fresh, spring.
Ingredients: 300g broad beans (double-podded), 300g arborio rice, 1 onion, 1L stock, handful mint, 50g parmesan, knob butter
Method: Sweat onion. Add rice, stir. Add stock ladle by ladle. Add beans in last 5 min. Stir in torn mint, parmesan, butter.
Broad Bean & Lemon Salad
Light, bright, 10 minutes.
Ingredients: 300g broad beans (double-podded), 1 lemon (zest and juice), 2 tbsp olive oil, handful parsley, salt, shaved parmesan
Method: Blanch beans 2 min. Slip skins. Toss with lemon, oil, parsley, salt. Top with parmesan.
Nutrition
One cup provides 40% of your daily folate, 25% of your thiamine, and 13g of protein. That's more protein than an egg. Also provides 9g of fibre and 25% of your daily iron. About 187 calories per cup. One of the highest-protein vegetables available and an excellent source of folate for pregnancy.