Broad beans health benefits: nutrition, uses and cautions

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 22 September 2019

Broad beans (Vicia faba) are the plump seeds of an annual legume that has been sown in kitchen gardens for several millennia. This page is for anyone with a glut of pods on the plot, or a bag of dried beans in the cupboard: which part to use, how to prepare it, what it tastes like, what herbal tradition made of the flowers, and who should be careful.

Broad bean at a glance
Item	Detail
Botanical name	Vicia faba
Family	Fabaceae
Parts used	Fresh shelled seeds, dried seeds, young pods, flowers
Forms of use	Raw in salads, steamed, pan-fried, soups and purées, dried and soaked, flower infusion or decoction
Harvest season	Flowers mid-spring to early summer; fresh pods late spring to midsummer; dried seeds late summer
Taste	Young beans sweet, nutty and grassy; older beans starchy and mealy with a faintly bitter skin
Nutrients	Plant protein, fibre, vitamin C, B group vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, polyphenols

What it is credited with

Because of its protein and mineral load, broad bean has a long-standing reputation as a nourishing, restorative and strengthening food in country cooking across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Naturopathy values the fibre in fresh and dried beans for everyday digestive comfort and regular transit.
Slimming-minded eating plans in naturopathy often include legumes such as broad beans because they give a feeling of fullness without being calorie-dense.
The polyphenols they contain are described as antioxidant compounds, which is the reason herbalists group broad beans with the other coloured pulses.
In traditional herbalism, an infusion or decoction of the dried flowers was taken as a diuretic, drunk to encourage the flow of water and ease general urinary discomfort.
Folk practice in some regions also used the flower water as a simple skin rinse for dull or tired-looking complexions.

How to use it

Fresh beans, straight from the pod

Pick pods while they are still bright green and the beans inside are no bigger than a thumbnail.
Shell them, then eat raw: a pinch of salt, a dash of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice. Sweet, green, faintly nutty.
A small handful is plenty at one sitting when they are raw.
Pair raw beans with young pecorino, mint, spring onion or fresh peas.

Cooked

Steam shelled beans 4 to 6 minutes for young ones, 8 to 10 minutes for larger ones.
Pan-fry in olive oil with garlic and savory, 5 minutes on a lively heat, and finish with parsley.
Blitz cooked beans with olive oil and lemon for a purée to spread on toast.
Add a couple of handfuls to a soup in the last 10 minutes so they keep their colour.
Once beans are past their youth, slip off the grey skins after cooking: this is what removes the bitterness.

Dried beans

Soak overnight in plenty of cold water, changing the water once if you can.
Drain, cover with fresh unsalted water and simmer until tender, usually 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on age.
Salt only at the end, otherwise the skins stay tough.
Season generously: cumin, bay, olive oil and lemon all suit their mealy, earthy taste.

Flower infusion, as tradition prepared it

Gather the flowers on a dry morning when they are fully open, and dry them flat in the shade.
Infusion: a teaspoon of dried flowers per cup, boiling water poured over, covered, 10 minutes, then strained. Mild, honeyed, slightly hay-like.
Decoction: the same quantity brought to a simmer for 5 minutes in cold water, then left to stand 10 minutes off the heat.
Traditionally taken as one or two cups across the day, for a short stretch of a few days rather than continuously.

Which part, in which form
Part used	Preparation	What it is used for
Young fresh seeds	Raw, dressed with oil, salt and lemon	A nourishing spring dish; the sweetest, most delicate flavour
Mature fresh seeds	Steamed, fried or puréed, skins slipped off	Everyday cooking, soups and spreads rich in protein and fibre
Dried seeds	Soaked overnight, then simmered	Winter stews and mashes; the fibre-rich store-cupboard form
Young pods	Sliced and cooked like green beans while very tender	Stretching an early harvest with no waste
Flowers	Dried, then infused or decocted	The traditional diuretic tea of old herbalism

Cautions

Favism. Broad beans can trigger a dangerous anaemia called favism when eaten raw in great quantities over a long period. This concerns people who carry a hereditary gene mutation and lack the digestive enzyme that normally breaks down the haemolytic substances (substances that destroy red blood cells) present in the seeds. If favism runs in your family, or you have been told you have a G6PD enzyme deficiency, avoid broad beans altogether, including the pollen and the flowers, and speak to a healthcare professional.
Medication. The natural L-dopa and tyramine in broad beans are known to interact with MAO-inhibitor medicines and with treatments for Parkinson’s disease. If you take any regular medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist before eating them often or drinking the flower tea.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Cooked broad beans are an ordinary food, but the flower infusion and decoction are not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Children. Keep the flower preparations for adults. Serve children well-cooked beans only, in small portions, never raw by the handful.
Digestion and allergy. Pulses can cause wind and bloating in sensitive stomachs; introduce them gradually. Anyone allergic to legumes should steer clear.
In the garden. Don’t plant your broad beans near beans, tomatoes or bell peppers, to avoid the spread of any infection between them.
A herbal tea is not a treatment. If a symptom persists, see a healthcare professional rather than lengthening the cure.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: eat the young beans raw or barely steamed while they are sweet, cook the older ones and slip off their skins, and leave the flower tea to short, occasional use.

Opened broad bean pods and bowl of young shelled beans dressed with olive oil and lemon — *Young shelled beans eaten raw with oil, salt and lemon*

Which part of the broad bean is used for a herbal tea?

The dried flowers, gathered mid-spring to early summer and dried flat in the shade. A teaspoon per cup, infused 10 minutes under a lid, gives a mild honeyed drink. In traditional herbalism it was taken as a diuretic, a cup or two a day for a few days at a time.

Do I really have to peel broad beans?

Only when they are past their youth. Very young beans have a tender skin you can eat raw with oil and lemon. Once the beans are large, the grey skin turns tough and slightly bitter, so cook them first and then pinch the skins off, which takes minutes and transforms the taste.

Can anyone eat broad beans raw?

Most people can enjoy a small handful of very young raw beans. But raw beans in large amounts over a long period can trigger favism, a dangerous anaemia, in people who lack the enzyme needed to break down the haemolytic substances in the seeds. If that deficiency runs in your family, avoid broad beans entirely and ask a healthcare professional.

How do I keep a big harvest?

Shell the beans, blanch them for two minutes, cool them in iced water and freeze them in bags. For the store cupboard, leave the last pods on the plant until late summer, dry the seeds thoroughly and keep them in an airtight jar out of the light, then soak them overnight before cooking.

What goes well with broad beans?

Mint, savory, garlic, lemon, olive oil, spring onion and salty sheep’s cheese are the classic partners. In the vegetable patch, sow a few nasturtium or dill seeds nearby to keep aphids moving on, and keep the row well away from beans, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Growing: how to grow broad beans in the vegetable patch
Cooking: recipes with broad beans as an essential ingredient

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.

Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.

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