I love good Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Lucky for me (and the animals), much of this cuisine is vegan or can easily be made vegan. I stumbled upon a dish called foule mudammas or ful medames  (there are a variety of spellings) when I was eating at my local favorite Mediterranean restaurant, Sahara. I order it every time. I also have learned that this dish is a staple breakfast food in places such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, and Syria to name a few.

When I was recently shopping to buy some tahini for a hummus dish, I stumbled upon these cans of fava beans in the Middle Eastern section of Wegmans. I knew right away they had to be mine. Oh, yes, they had to be mine! I scooped up 4 cans and kept them in my cabinet for a special occasion.

Today was that occasion. I learned from a One Green Planet posting that today was National Bean Day! As a lover of beans and having a hankering for some foule mudammas, I knew I had to make them. I had all of the necessary ingredients on hand to boot and this dish came together quickly. I used the back of the can’s recipe as my template and changed the proportions to suit my tastes. Here is what I came up with.

Foule Mudammas
Serves 2 as a main entree

2 – 15 oz. cans of fava beans (or dried beans that are soaked and cooked)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
salt to taste
3 TB olive oil
1 scallion thinly sliced

Cook the fava beans in their own liquid on the stovetop until they are warmed throughout. Drain the beans  and transfer them to a large bowl. Slightly mash the beans with a spoon being careful to retain most of their shape.  Add the parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Mix gently. Garnish with the scallion and more parsley and olive oil if you choose. Serve immediately with warm flat bread or pita.

I rounded out my meal with raw carrots, hummus, dolmas, olives, and warm flatbread. It was amazing! The fresh flavors of the lemon, garlic, and parsley went well with the protein-packed fava beans.

Now, someone pass the Chianti!

Mr. Tuxedo Cat generously rated the foule mudammas a strong 4 1/2 out of 5 carrots on the veganlicious scale!