Middle Eastern · Breakfast

Ful Medames

Stewed fava beans with garlic, lemon, and olive oil.

18min
274kcal
10.1gprotein
Ful Medames — Middle Eastern recipe, finished and plated
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Ingredients

Servings 4
  • 2 tin Fava beans
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 Tomato
  • 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Parsley (optional)

Method

  1. Warm the fava beans with the garlic, cumin, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, mashing some against the side for body, until hot through.
  2. While the beans warm, chop the tomato and parsley.
  3. Take the pan off the heat and brighten the beans with the lemon and olive oil.
  4. Top with the tomato and parsley and serve with bread.

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About Ful Medames

Ful medames is one of the oldest dishes still eaten daily in the eastern Mediterranean, a stew of fava beans that anchors breakfast across Egypt and the wider Middle East. Its character is rustic and unfussy: cooked fava beans warmed with garlic and cumin, then finished with lemon and a generous pour of good olive oil. Mashing some of the beans against the side of the pan while leaving others whole gives it the traditional mix of creamy body and firm texture.

The taste is earthy and savory, lifted at the end by the sharpness of lemon and the grassy richness of extra-virgin olive oil, with fresh tomato and parsley on top adding brightness and crunch. It is filling and high in fiber, which is why it has sustained working people for centuries. Served warm with plenty of flatbread for scooping, it is classic breakfast food but works just as well any time of day, and it is quick, ready in under twenty minutes from pantry beans.

Ful Medames: frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Ful Medames?

A serving has about 274 calories — 10.1g protein, 27.2g carbs, 14.8g fat, 7.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.

Is Ful Medames gluten-free?

Based on its ingredients, Ful Medames has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.

Do I need every ingredient to make Ful Medames?

The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out parsley — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.

How many servings does Ful Medames make?

This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.