Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Mar. 27, 2019
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Fava beans and spring carrots are best left alone. . J. Kenji López-Alt

Why This Recipe Works

  • Blanching fava beans in the shell gives them a brighter flavor and color.
  • Soaking thinly sliced carrots in cold water makes them curl nicely and gives them extra crunch.

This quick and easy salad takes some of spring's best produce—bright green fava beans and tender young carrots—and does just the right thing to them, which is very little. With a simple vinaigrette, some thinly sliced shallots, and a generous serving of fresh ricotta cheese to add richness, it's all they need to taste their best.

Recipe Details

Easy Fava Bean and Carrot Salad With Ricotta Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds (700g) fresh fava bean pods

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 small carrots (about 4 ounces; 115g), with a small handful of their tenderest greens if available

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon, plus a large pinch of grated zest

  • 1 small shallot (about 1 ounce; 30g), thinly sliced

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 ounces (170g) high-quality ricotta cheese (see note)

  • 4 slices hearty toast

Directions

  1. Open up fava bean pods and remove individual beans. Discard pods. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Add fava beans to pot and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer fava beans to ice bath and allow to chill for 1 minute. Carefully peel off and discard the outer skin from each bean.

  2. Scrub carrots under cold running water. Rinse greens (if using). Using a sharp knife, a vegetable peeler, or a mandoline, very thinly slice carrots on a strong bias. Transfer carrot slices to ice bath and set aside.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add fava beans and shallot. Carefully dry carrots and greens (if using) and add to bowl. Toss to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper.

  4. Spread ricotta over the bottom of a serving plate and top with dressed vegetables. Serve with toast. Drizzle with more olive oil just before serving, if desired.

Notes

Use a high-quality store-bought ricotta that contains no gums or thickeners. The ingredients should list only milk or whey, salt, and a starter culture or acid. Our favorite nationally available brand is Calabro. Alternatively, it's easy to make your own ricotta.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
518 Calories
27g Fat
50g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 518
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 36%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 732mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 6mg 32%
Calcium 335mg 26%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 554mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)