Black Bean Ful

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried black turtle beans or 4-5 cups fresh fava beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced in wedges (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Soak the dried black turtle beans in the water for several hours or overnight.

2. 2

   Cook the soaked beans in fresh water to cover for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until tender. (Cook fresh favas until just tender).

3. 3

   Drain the cooked beans while they're still hot and toss them with the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. The warm beans will readily absorb the flavors.

4. 4

   Add plenty of salt and black pepper to taste.

5. 5

   Stir in half of the tomatoes and parsley.

6. 6

   Taste the ful. It should be lemony and garlicky, not bland. Add more lemon if necessary.

7. 7

   Turn the ful into a warm serving bowl and top it with the rest of the tomatoes and parsley and garnish it with lemon wedges and hard-boiled eggs if you like.

8. 8

   Serve warm, but can also be served chilled or at room temperature.