Vegan Ful Medames
Ful Medames is Egypt’s national dish and a beloved staple across the Middle East and North Africa: slow‑simmered creamy fava beans seasoned with garlic, lemon, and warm spices, topped with a bright, fresh vegetable salsa. This fully vegan version keeps all the rich, comforting, earthy flavour of the traditional recipe without any animal products. It is naturally protein‑rich, hearty, and traditionally eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner — served with flatbread for scooping.
Shared by duton
Time
60 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
đź›’ Ingredients
- #For the Bean Stew:
- 400g dried fava beans (soaked overnight) OR 2 cans (400g each) fava beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.. 1 small onion, finely diced.. 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ripe tomato, chopped or 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin,, ½ tsp ground coriander
- Pinch of chilli flakes (optional).. Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup water or vegetable stock,, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- #Fresh Topping (Salsa):
- 1 medium tomato, finely diced.. ½ small cucumber, finely diced
- ÂĽ red onion, very finely chopped.. Fresh parsley or coriander, chopped
- Extra olive oil, lemon wedges, and chilli powder to serve
👩‍🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the beans: If using dried soaked beans, boil in fresh water for 30–40 minutes until very soft; drain, reserving a little cooking liquid. If using canned beans, warm gently in a pot with a splash of water for 5 minutes.
- 2
Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a separate pan, fry onion until soft, add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato, cumin, coriander, chilli, salt, and pepper; cook for 2–3 minutes.
- 3
Simmer: Add the cooked beans and the reserved liquid or water. Mash roughly with a fork or potato masher for a thick, creamy texture — leave some beans whole for texture. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to blend flavours, then stir in lemon juice.
- 4
Make the topping: Toss diced tomato, cucumber, red onion, and fresh herbs in a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
- 5
Serve: Spoon the warm bean stew into bowls, pile the fresh vegetable mix on top, drizzle generously with extra olive oil, and serve with warm pita or flatbread.