Ful Medames (Egyptian Breakfast Fava Beans)

Ful medames is Egypt’s national breakfast: slow-cooked fava beans mashed with garlic, lemon, and olive oil, then topped with whatever’s on hand, tomato, egg, parsley. It’s humble, filling, and endlessly customizable, which is exactly why Egyptians have eaten it for breakfast for thousands of years.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) fava beans, drained, liquid reserved
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Warm pita bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the beans
   Add the fava beans to a saucepan with a few tablespoons of their reserved liquid. Warm over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, mashing some of the beans with a fork while leaving others whole for texture.
2. Season
   Stir in the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, ful should be tangy and garlicky.
3. Serve
   Spoon into a shallow bowl. Top with diced tomato, hard-boiled egg if using, parsley, and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot with warm pita for scooping.