{"id":2150,"date":"2020-11-25T11:18:24","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T11:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/?p=2150"},"modified":"2020-11-26T10:06:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T10:06:56","slug":"what-to-do-with-broad-beans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gardendad.co.uk\/what-to-do-with-broad-beans\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do With Broad Beans?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Broad beans<\/a> are a great, versatile vegetable, that have a great deal more that is good about them than memories you might have of them in a soggy pile on a plate at your Granny\u2019s Sunday dinners. They are delicious, versatile, very good for our general health – and there is a huge variety of different things that can be done with them, both cooked and otherwise. Read on to learn more about what to do with broad beans.<\/p>\n

Health benefits of broad beans<\/h2>\n

\"Health<\/p>\n

These little beans are not only delicious, but also very good for you. They contain a lot of protein<\/strong>, which is good for muscle development, and they are also high in fibre<\/strong> which is good for the digestion, and can even help to lower cholesterol.<\/p>\n

Another benefit is the trace minerals; broad beans contain Phosphorous<\/strong>, Magnesium <\/strong>and Iron<\/strong>, plus almost all of the B vitamins<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

They may also be very good for pregnant mothers, as studies have shown them too be high in Folate<\/strong>, which can help prevent birth defects.<\/p>\n

Broad beans also contain antioxidants<\/strong>, making them a great choice for anyone who wants to improve their immune systems in general.<\/p>\n

They can improve bone density, thanks to the Copper<\/strong> and Manganese<\/strong> that they contain, and they have been shown to increase vitamin C absorption<\/strong>, thanks to their Iron<\/strong> content.<\/p>\n

What to do with broad beans<\/h2>\n

A better question to ask would be – what can you not<\/em> do with broad beans? They are so versatile; you can do just about anything with a broad bean. They are not often used in sweet recipes, but anything savoury is the best friend of the broad.<\/p>\n

They need to be taken out of their outer pods, and some recipes ask for the waxy outer coating to be removed too (this is known as double podding<\/strong>), but you can happily eat these too, so it is down to personal choice.<\/p>\n

Broad beans can be eaten raw or cooked, and you can use them by themselves or as part of another recipe. They are also great substitutes in some surprising recipes – did you know that you can make broad bean humus? How about pesto?<\/p>\n

Or, if you are just interested in the health benefits, you can also juice them or add them too smoothies.<\/p>\n

Here is a little video showing you the most simple way of cooking broad beans:<\/p>\n