Fresh habas, peas and mozzarella — a simple salad from the hills of Andalucía
You may know them as fava beans if you're in the US, or habas if you're in Spain. In the UK, they're broad beans—same thing; three names, one excellent legume.
The Spanish answer is usually habas con jamón — broad beans cooked with cured ham and plenty of heat until they're soft, yielding, and, frankly, a little grey. It's a classic tapa, and I understand the appeal. But I don't particularly like it. Overcooked broad beans lose everything that makes them worth eating in the first place.
This mozzarella broad bean salad takes a different view. Young habas and fresh peas, barely steamed — minutes, not a quarter of an hour — dressed with good olive oil, lemon, fresh mint, and laid alongside torn mozzarella. Clean, bright, and very much a dish of the season.
If you can get young broad beans straight from the pod, use them. That's the whole point.
Mozzarella Broad Bean Salad
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 200g fresh young broad beans, podded
- 150g fresh peas, podded
- 2 balls of mozzarella, torn
- A generous handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
- Juice of half a lemon
- Good olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
Method
- Steam the broad beans and peas together for 3–4 minutes — no more. You want them just tender, still bright green, with a little bite.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes. Don't refresh in cold water — just let them settle.
- Arrange the torn mozzarella on a plate. Spoon the beans and peas alongside and over.
- Dress with a good pour of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Scatter the mint over the top.
- Season with flaky salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.
A note on the beans
Young broad beans don't need blanching or double-podding — the inner skin is tender enough to eat as it is. As the season progresses and the beans get larger, you may want to pop them from their skins after steaming. You'll know by looking: young beans are bright green all the way through; older ones have a tougher, paler skin worth removing.
This mozzarella broad bean salad is best eaten the same day.
For something more involved, my Broad Bean, Courgette and Lentil Salad with Marinated Feta takes broad beans in a completely different direction — Pardina lentils, griddled courgette, and a feta marinated overnight in fennel seeds and juniper.
This mozzarella broad bean salad is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses collection. Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
