Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Foul Mdammas: Lebanese Lemon-Garlic Fava Beans

Fūl mudammas

Foul mdammas is a warm, sustaining preparation of fully cooked fava beans seasoned with lemon, garlic, cumin and extra-virgin olive oil. Lebanese cooks commonly crush some of the beans to thicken their cooking liquid while leaving the remainder whole. Tomato and parsley bring freshness and are added at the end rather than cooked into a heavy sauce.

Prep15 min

Cook15 min

DifficultyBeginner

YieldAbout 1.3 kg

Know what you are cooking

A Pan-Lebanese breakfast and morning-table dish, also served as a light meal. Lebanese household and restaurant versions vary in texture: some are almost entirely whole, while others are coarsely mashed. Tomato may be folded through or arranged on top; lemon, garlic and olive oil are adjusted at the table. It is traditionally accompanied by vegetables, olives, pickles and bread, although accompaniments are not included in this recipe or its nutrition estimate.

Serve warm for breakfast, brunch or a simple meatless meal. Place the bowl at the center of the table with additional lemon, parsley, tomato and olive oil so diners can adjust each portion.

By the end, you can:

Season cooked fava beans with a balanced Lebanese mixture of lemon, garlic and cumin.
Use partial mashing to create a creamy broth without puréeing all the beans.
Recognize the correct serving consistency from observable texture and spoon flow.
Finish the dish with raw tomato, parsley and olive oil while maintaining conservative food-safety controls.

Method

Prepare the beans and fresh garnishes

Drain the cooked fava beans and rinse canned beans under cool running water. Let them drain thoroughly. Dice the tomato and chop the washed, well-dried parsley, keeping both refrigerated while the beans heat.

Look, smell, feelThe rinsing water should run mostly clear, and the beans should smell mild and earthy rather than sour or fermented.SafetyDiscard cans that are bulging, leaking, badly rusted or spurting when opened. Use separate clean utensils and surfaces for ready-to-eat tomato and parsley.

Heat and soften the beans

Put the beans, 250 ml water or cooking liquid, cumin and half the salt in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a small amount of hot water if the pan becomes dry.

Look, smell, feelThe beans should be hot throughout and tender enough to crush easily with the back of a spoon; the liquid should look slightly cloudy and starchy.SafetyKeep the simmer gentle to prevent hot bean liquid from splashing. If reheating previously cooked beans, bring the center of the mixture to at least 74°C.

Build the lemon-garlic seasoning

While the beans simmer, crush the garlic with the remaining salt to a smooth paste. Stir in the lemon juice, 45 ml olive oil and optional black pepper.

Look, smell, feelThe mixture should smell sharply lemony and garlicky, with no large pieces of raw garlic remaining.SafetyDo not leave garlic mixed with oil at room temperature for later storage; prepare it for immediate use and refrigerate the completed dish promptly if it will not be served.

Mash and season

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Coarsely mash about one-third of the beans in the pan, leaving most whole. Stir in the lemon-garlic mixture. If necessary, add hot water a spoonful at a time. Taste and adjust salt or lemon before transferring to a shallow serving bowl.

Look, smell, feelThe finished foul should be creamy but not puréed: beans remain visible while the thickened liquid slowly settles around a spoon.SafetyStabilize the hot saucepan on a heat-resistant surface before mashing, and keep hands clear of steam.

Rest, garnish and serve

Rest the beans for 5 minutes so they absorb the seasoning. Scatter the diced tomato and parsley over the surface and drizzle with the remaining 30 ml olive oil. Serve warm.

Look, smell, feelThe dish should have a warm bean aroma, bright lemon acidity, fresh garlic, earthy cumin and a glossy green-gold olive-oil finish.SafetyServe promptly. Do not leave the finished dish at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 32°C.

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Chef notes

Start with fully cooked fava beans for this 35-minute lesson. Dried beans require separate soaking and cooking until completely tender.
The defining texture is coarse and spoonable, not a smooth dip. Mash only enough beans to bind the liquid.
Add lemon after heating; prolonged boiling dulls its fresh aroma and can make the seasoning seem harsh.
Salt levels differ greatly among canned beans. Rinsing lowers surface sodium, but tasting remains essential.
For table service, retain a little lemon juice and olive oil for individual adjustment rather than making the entire batch excessively acidic or oily.

Common mistakes

Using undercooked fava beans, which remain chalky and cannot thicken the liquid properly.
Draining away all moisture and producing a dry mash instead of a loose, spoonable dish.
Puréeing every bean and losing the characteristic contrast between creamy broth and whole beans.
Boiling the lemon-garlic mixture for a long time, which weakens the lemon aroma and can make garlic taste acrid.
Adding tomato too early, causing it to collapse and dilute the warm bean mixture.

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Practical substitutions

Home-cooked dried fava beans may replace canned beans measure for measure once fully tender and drained; the soaking and cooking time is additional.
Unsalted bean cooking liquid gives more body than water, but either is appropriate.
If tomatoes are not ripe, omit them rather than replacing them with tomato sauce; increase parsley or serve fresh vegetables alongside.
Ground cumin is customary, but its quantity may be reduced for a milder household-style version.
Bread is optional for service. To maintain a gluten-free meal, use bread specifically certified gluten-free and prevent cross-contact.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: The beans may be heated and partially mashed up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate them without the tomato, parsley, lemon-garlic dressing or finishing oil. Reheat thoroughly, then add the fresh seasonings shortly before service.

Storage: Transfer leftovers to a shallow, covered container and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the ambient temperature exceeds 32°C. Store at 4°C or colder and use within 3 days. Follow stricter local health guidance where applicable. Do not store at room temperature because the dish contains cooked beans and fresh garlic mixed with oil.

Reheating: Reheat the bean portion in a saucepan with a splash of water, stirring until it reaches at least 74°C throughout. Add fresh parsley and tomato after reheating. Refresh the flavor with a little lemon juice and olive oil; avoid repeatedly reheating the same batch.

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Plate and serve

Spread the warm foul in a shallow communal bowl, creating a slight well in the center. Distribute tomato and parsley evenly, then drizzle the remaining olive oil across the surface. Offer lemon wedges, fresh vegetables, olives or Lebanese pickles separately; bread served alongside is not included in the nutrition estimate.