Fave e Cicoria (Puglian Fava Bean Purée with Wild Greens)

Name: Fave e Cicoria (Puglian Fava Bean Purée with Wild Greens)
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250g dried split broad beans, skinned, or use yellow split peas; 1 potato, about 150 g, peeled and chopped; 1 bay leaf; 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 600g chicory, or curly endive, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 dried red chilli, crumbled; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp salt; 1l water, for the beans

A silky, olive oil rich purée of dried broad beans with garlicky bitter greens. The humble Puglian dish that has become famous.

Time1 hr 15
LevelEasy
Costabout £1.25 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

250 gdried split broad beansskinned, or use yellow split peas
1potatoabout 150 g, peeled and chopped
1bay leaf
5 tbspextra virgin olive oil
600 gchicoryor curly endive, roughly chopped
3garlic clovessliced
1dried red chillicrumbled
1red onionthinly sliced
1 tspsalt
1 lwaterfor the beans

Method

1
Rinse the beans and put them in a large pan with the potato, bay leaf and the water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently for 45 minutes, until the beans collapse.
45 min
2
Remove the bay leaf. Beat the beans and potato hard with a wooden spoon or a stick blender, adding 3 tbsp of the oil and the salt, until you have a thick, smooth purée like loose mash. Keep warm.
3
Meanwhile, boil the chicory in salted water for 6 minutes, then drain well and squeeze out the water.
6 min
4
Warm 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli for 1 minute, then the chicory. Fry for 5 minutes, turning, until soft and fragrant.
5 min
5
In a small pan, cook the red onion in the last tbsp of oil for 5 minutes until soft and sweet.
5 min
6
Spoon the purée onto warm plates, pile the greens beside it and top with the onion. Finish with a good swirl of olive oil.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.