Fava Santorinis Recipe to Enjoy

[kcixcy]

I had this when I was in Santorini and I loved it. I tracked down a recipe and wanted to share!

Ingredients:​

• 1 cup yellow split peas (ideally from Santorini, if available)
• 1 small red or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional but adds depth)
• 4 cups water (plus more as needed)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• Fresh lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon, or to taste)

Instructions:​

1. Rinse and soak (optional):
   Rinse the yellow split peas well under cool water. Soaking is optional, but if you do soak for 2–3 hours, the cooking time will be shorter.
2. Cook the peas:
   In a pot, add the split peas, chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, and water. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Simmer:
   Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are soft and starting to fall apart. Add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
4. Remove bay leaf & blend:
   When the peas are soft and the mixture looks thick and mushy, remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender (or food processor) to purée until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again. Taste and add salt and lemon juice.
5. Chill or serve warm:
   You can serve it warm, room temperature, or chilled — all are traditional!
6. Garnish:
   Drizzle with extra olive oil and top with red onion slices, capers, and parsley.

I serve it with other meze with pita triangles for dipping!

 

[k_tsoukalas]

This sounds incredible, thank you for sharing the recipe! I had fava in Santorini too and was surprised by how rich and flavorful it was, even though it’s such a humble dish. The silky texture paired with lemon and olive oil is just perfection. I’ve never tried making it at home, but your instructions are super clear and easy to follow. Love that you included the tip about soaking the split peas to shorten cook time, it's helpful!

I also like the idea of topping it with capers and red onion for that extra punch. I think this would make a beautiful centerpiece for a meze spread, especially with warm pita, olives, maybe some dolmadakia. Definitely bookmarking this to make soon. If you ever make variations (like adding herbs or caramelized onions), I’d love to hear about them. Thanks again for bringing a bit of Santorini sunshine to the forum!