These beans look so beautiful in their pods, it seems a shame to eat them. If you wish to be cruel and do so, first you will need to peel them.
fresh borlotti beans
The next step is to boil or steam them until they are tender but not mushy. Then you can dress them with oil, parsley, chilli or whatever takes your fancy.
peeled beans
cooked beans
They don’t look so great when they are cooked, but once you add some olive oil, parsley, spring onion, chopped tomato and chilli if you wish, they look good again and they taste delicous.
things to add to your beans
Chop parsley, spring onion, chilli and tomatoes and add to beans with olive oil and salt and pepper. Serve as a side dish or with crusty bread. Yum!
It is quite common to see fresh borlotti and broad beans in Italy when the season is right. Fortunately it is becoming easier to find these things here in Australia.
Yum! We’re not growing these, but maybe we should. Can you make this recipe with dried (soaked and boiled first), Deb? Thanks..
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on November 14, 2010
at 7:25 pm
Dried beans would be fine. Some of the canned ones are very good too. We tried some at Salone, and they were excellent. I just love the look of the fresh ones.
By: bagnidilucca on November 14, 2010
at 9:33 pm
I have some broad beans and am about to do a blog on them!!! Yours looks delicious & very healthy Deb.
By: mary D on November 14, 2010
at 8:31 pm
Such a shame these beans looks their fab colourings when they’re cooked, but your right they taste wonderful, specially on a big ol’ crusty loaf dripping in olive oil… and a nice glass of something of course. Heaven 🙂
By: Anna Johnston on November 14, 2010
at 8:59 pm
I’m a fan too. These pictures are mouth watering. I’ll be back in Australia and ‘salad weather’ soon!
Cheers, MLT
By: mltucker on November 14, 2010
at 10:46 pm
Yes I wish that pretty mottled purple would stay once cooked! They’d make such a striking dish then!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on November 15, 2010
at 1:45 am
Yum. Some delicious bread and olive oil and you have the perfect meal.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on November 15, 2010
at 2:11 am
These sound wonderful. What bean do they taste most like?
By: Sasha @ Global Table Adventure on November 15, 2010
at 5:45 pm
I’m not sure how you would describe the taste. Most beans are fairly bland and take on the flavour of the things put with them. You may know the bean as a kidney bean or pinto bean. Keep up the international cooking.
By: bagnidilucca on November 15, 2010
at 9:24 pm
cool
By: stacy on November 16, 2010
at 8:04 am
Yum! Your salad looks delicious and aren’t the raw beans just beautiful?
By: Susan: My Food Obsession on November 17, 2010
at 10:05 am
The beans are such a gorgeous colour, it is a pity they don’t retain is when they are cooked.
By: bagnidilucca on November 17, 2010
at 11:41 am
How long do you need to steam the fresh borlotti beans?
By: Anonymous on May 8, 2013
at 11:12 am