Fava Bean & Pecorino Salad
Fava Bean & Pecorino Salad is a classic, rustic Italian dish, particularly popular in central and southern regions during spring. It typically features tender, cooked fava beans (broad beans), crumbled or shaved Pecorino cheese, fresh herbs like mint or parsley, and a simple dressing of high-quality olive oil. It's a celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This salad is a well-balanced dish, offering a good source of plant-based protein and dietary fiber from the fava beans, with healthy fats from the olive oil and cheese. A typical serving provides a moderate amount of calories, rich in essential minerals like potassium and iron.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 280 kcal |
| Protein | 14 g |
| Carbs | 22 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 350 mg |
| Potassium | 450 mg |
| Iron | 3.5 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 120 µg |
| Magnesium | 55 mg |
| Vitamin K | 15 µg |
| Zinc | 2 mg |
| Vitamin C | 12 mg |
| Phosphorus | 180 mg |
Per 1 cup (200 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, this dish is a quintessential example of Italian 'cucina povera' (peasant cooking), transforming simple, affordable ingredients into a flavorful and nutritious meal. Nutritionally, fava beans are unique among legumes for their high L-dopa content, a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
