Foul (Ful)
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Prep Time15 mins
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Cook Time10 mins
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Serving6
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Ready In25 mins
Foul (ful) medames is a hearty Lebanese breakfast made from cooked fava beans, lemon juice, crushed garlic and cumin served with fresh vegetables and eaten with pita bread.ย Most often, it is simply referred to as โfoulโ.ย
Foul medames is a very popular savory breakfast dish in Lebanon. However, this dish originated in Egypt. Overtime it has spread throughout all the Middle-Eastern countries. Each country has their own special twist to making foul, but the base is the same.
I have very fond memories of my first mornings of all my trips to Lebanon, when my grandfather would wake up early to pick up some fresh foul and all the fixings that come with it, along with Manakeesh of course since no true Lebanese breakfast is complete without it.
What is in Foul?
Fava beans which are also known as the broad bean, are the main ingredient in foul. They are an excellent source of vitamins and lean protein. They have no saturated fat or cholesterol.
I am able to find cooked canned fava beans that have been precooked at my Middle-Eastern grocery store. If you are not able to find any, you can purchases dried fava beans and cook those to use in this dish.
Cooked alongside the fava beans are chickpeas (garbanzo beans). The ratio is typically 2:1 fava beans to chickpeas.
In this Lebanese take on foul, which I have learned from my mother, I add tahini paste, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and a some spices. Since the canned beans are precooked, I just warm them up in a small pot before transferring them to a large serving bowl to crush using a mortar. I like to crush about 75-80% of the beans but, do so according to your personal preference. Some people barely crush the beans and enjoy the heartier texture.
Foul breakfast has a lazy reputation, as in once you eat it, you are ready for a nap! On the special Sunday mornings, my mother would make a foul breakfast (or brunch since it was never before 12/1pm), followed by a nap, as we would all pass out too lazy to even clean up the breakfast table.
STEP 1
Add the fava beans with their liquid to a large pot. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add to the pot of fava beans.
Warm on medium heat for 10 minutes.
STEP 2
STEP 3
Add the warmed fava bean and chickpea mixture to a serving bowl.
Using the mortar you crushed the garlic with, mash the fava beans and chickpeas until about ยฝ to ยพ of the mixture is mashed. (based on your personal preference.)
Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, tahini paste, and salt. Mix to combine.
STEP 4
Add ยฝ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or any hot pepper for a kick. (Optional)
STEP 5
Finely chop the parsley leaves and the tomato and set aside for serving.
Serve the foul with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and tomatoes, and drizzle with olive oil.
Foul (Ful)
Ingredients
- 3 14oz Canned Cooked Fava Beans
- 1 15.5oz Chick Peas canned
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 2 tb. Tahini Paste
- 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ยฝ bunch Parsley
- 1 Tomato
- Olive Oil for serving
Instructions
- Add the fava beans with their liquid to a large pot. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add to the pot of fava beans. Warm on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Crush the garlic with a half teaspoon of salt. Juice the lemon.
- Add the warmed fava bean and chickpea mixture to a serving bowl. Using the mortar you crushed the garlic with, mash the fava beans and chickpeas until about ยฝ to ยพ of the mixture is mashed. (based on your personal preference.) Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, cumin, tahini paste, and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add ยฝ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or any hot pepper for a kick. (Optional)
- Finely chop the parsley leaves and the tomato and set aside for serving.
- Serve the foul with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and tomatoes, and drizzle with olive oil.
Nutrition
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