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–+ servings
Bowl of mashed fava and chickpeas topped with diced tomatoes and parsley.
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5 from 4 votes

Ful Medames (Levantine Chickpea and Fava Bean Stew)

Ful Medames is a traditional, hearty and comforting breakfast stew of creamy fava beans and chickpeas dressed with herbs, spices and tomatoes. This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan and can be prepared as part of a much larger breakfast spread or meze.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Author: Luay Ghafari
Cost: $8

Ingredients

  • 1 can Red or brown fava beans - 14 fl oz (398ml)
  • 1 can Chickpeas - 14 fl oz (398ml)
  • ½ tsp Ground cumin - Use more or less to taste
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Dressing

  • 1 Medium tomato - finely diced
  • ¼ cup Fresh parsley - Chopped
  • 1-2 Hot peppers - minced (Optional)
  • 1 Garlic clove - minced (Optional, use as much garlic as you like)
  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • More olive oil and lemon juice to garnish

Instructions

  • Boil. To a small pot on medium heat, empty a can of red fava beans and a can of chickpeas (with the liquid). Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 5-8 minutes, until fork tender. Season with ground cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
  • Mash. Using the back of a fork or a potato masher, mash about half of the beans. You are looking for a chunky consistency. You might want to add a little water at this point to keep the bean texture slightly runny.
  • Make dressing. In a small bowl combine the diced fresh tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with a little salt.
  • Mix in. Mix in half the dressing with the mashed beans and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  • Dress. Transfer the mashed beans to a serving bowl and top with the remaining dressing. Drizzle with a generous glug of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with pita and fresh vegetables.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos. 
Ingredient Notes: 
    • Fava Beans: I recommend using canned fava beans (red or brown). 
    • Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. Don’t skimp here and use the cheap stuff. Now would be a good time to use the fancy olive oil you got for your birthday.
    • Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley is traditional, but I have made this recipe with both parsley and cilantro (coriander).
    • Dry spices: Cumin is a traditional warm spice that is often used in traditional ful recipes. The flavor can be an acquired taste to use as little or as much as you like.
    • Lemon: A key component to balance out the heavy, hearty and rich flavors of ful medames is an acid like lemon juice. There’s really no substitute for lemon juice, but if you don’t have any, lime juice will work on a pinch.
    • Garlic: Fresh mashed garlic is often added, but this is entirely optional and up to you.
 
Other additions: red onions, scallions, dried chili peppers. 
Serve it with some fresh homemade Lebanese pita bread or taboon flatbread.
To make this recipe the traditional Egyptian way instead, use 2 cans of fava beans and omit the chickpeas.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 716IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg