Eat Like a Yogi

healthful nutrient dense succotash

By Diet

Succotash with fava beans

Remember hot lunch in grade school, and how every week this assortment of vegetables—corn, carrots and lima beans—would appear on the plate? I had no idea until about two years ago that weird little mixture has a weird little name: succotash.

I have a feeling succotash was served so often because it’s inexpensive and fills bellies. It surely wasn’t the exquisite flavor. I don’t know what they did to the veggies but by the time they reached our plates they were all mushy and tasted like a can.

That is not the case with this recipe! This succotash conveys the very essence of summer: sweet and fresh with a little somethin-somethin’, plus it’s relatively inexpensive to make when the veggies are at their peak. You’ll get your money’s worth….the corn and fava bean mixture offers a complete amino acid profile, it’s high in fiber, and provides a nice balance of protein and carbohydrates. If you ask me, all of that adds up to an A+.

The one hiccup with this recipe is the fava beans. First you have to remove them from their pods, then from their skins. (Some sources will say you don’t have to remove the skins, which is technically true. But if you leave the skins on it basically negates the whole point of the bean, which is its smooth, creamy texture. So I say, just relax. Slow down. Remove the skins…this dish is worth the extra effort. Here’s a quick tutorial to make it easy.)

Consider serving this with grilled eggplant, portabello, or red pepper “steaks,” or with this Spring Pea Soup.

Print

Succotash with fava beans

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 side servings

Ingredients

  • 1 T grapeseed oil
  • 1 lb. fava beans (shelled, skins removed)
  • 3 ears of corn, kernels removed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lg shallot, diced
  • 3 T chopped fresh chives
  • 2 T. chopped fresh basil
  • 1 T chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Shuck the fava beans and remove their skins. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the shallot.  
  3. When the shallot is fragrant and becoming translucent, add the fresh corn and salt to the skillet. 
  4. Cover and cook for five minutes. 
  5. Turn the heat to medium low. Add the tomatoes and fava beans, stirring to combine.
  6. Cook five more minutes, stirring gently. 
  7. Turn off the heat and add the herbs and pepper. 

Notes

This dish is good served at any temperature. If you're serving other hot food, consider serving it cold for a nice counter balance.