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3 from 2 votes

Fresh Fava Bean Pod Green Enchilada Sauce

Fresh fava beans are delicious, but what about those pods we all just toss? Use those scraps and make a delicious green enchilada sauce. No one will ever guess it's made from scraps!
Course: Spreads, Dips, Sauces, and Dressings, Zero Waste
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Tex-Mex
Keyword: fava beans
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 24.8kcal
Author: Cindy Thompson, MS, NBC-HWC | Trimazing! Health & Lifestyle Coaching

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • High speed blender or food processor

Ingredients

  • Shelled pods of fresh fava beans from 2½ pounds of beans
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • ½ jalapeno pepper seeded, veins removed, chopped.
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1½ fresh limes juiced, about 3 tbsp
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves and stems, about 1/4 cup

Instructions

  • Shell the fresh fava beans, reserving the beans for another use. Remove the hard stem end, pull out the long strings from the side of the bean, and discard into your compost.
  • Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your pressure cooker and place a trivet or steaming rack. Add prepared fava bean pods. Set the pressure cooker for 10 minutes at high pressure. Do a quick release when finished. If you do not have a pressure cooker, steam 15-20 minutes until soft.
  • Meanwhile, cook the onions, jalapeno, and garlic in a dry pan over medium heat until they are nicely browned. Add a splash of water or vegetable stock if they start to stick or burn. You want the caramelized flavor of these veggies.
  • Transfer the cooked bean pods and onion mixture to a high speed blender or food processor (note, a food processor may be easier to clean afterward as errant strings from the pods may get twisted around the center of your blender blades and take some extra work for cleaning).
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Strain the mixture through a colander with large holes to remove and discard any tough strings that remain.
  • Use the green enchilada sauce as desired. Keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and freezes well.

Nutrition

Calories: 24.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 389.9mg | Potassium: 65.3mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.6g | Vitamin A: 72.1IU | Vitamin C: 8.4mg | Calcium: 18.6mg | Iron: 0.4mg