Habas con jamon is a classic tapas dish that is basically a “salad” made with broad beans and ham. Broad beans are long flat beans that appear in the springtime in southern Spain. This easy Spanish recipe is really versatile and can be made whether you’ve got meat eaters or vegetarians at the table.
Normally this dish is a side dish or a bean tapas however with the addition of some extra vegetables and a poached egg it becomes a meal on its own.
Spanish Mushroom Recipe Ingredients
This version of the recipe isn’t the traditional recipe. I took a cooking class in Seville and wanted to make all dishes that were pork-free so that I could enjoy them. Truly I think I prefer this version!
There aren’t a lot of flat bean recipes found, I think primarily because it’s a very regional type of bean. If you don’t have access to flat beans you could use regular green beans instead. The recipe would probably work with fava beans or green peas too though obviously, the taste would be a bit different.
You can leave the egg off if you’d like but it does add a nice creamy texture to the dish. I think that while it’s great on it’s own it would also make for a really tasty savory breakfast option.
How to Cook Flat Beans
The good news is that flat beans cook basically the same way as a green bean. It’s a good idea to pick through the beans for any that may be bad. Then snap or cut the ends and wash well. These beans are cut into smaller pieces and then blanched before plating.
You could also steam the beans or pan saute them depending on the final result you’re looking for.
Mushrooms and Broad Beans with a Poached Egg
A simple dish using mushrooms and flat, broad beans common in southern Spain.
Ingredients
- 250 g broad beans (green beans also work)
- 4-6 button mushrooms
- 1/2 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp sherry wine (or apple cider vinegar)
- 4 eggs - 1 for each tapas sized serving
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Clean beans, cut into 3-4 centimeter pieces and blanch.
- Add olive oil to a cooking pan and heat to medium high heat.
- Place the 3 cloves of garlic into the oil and gently cook until they begin to brown. Remove from the pan and discard. This will add the flavor to the oil without the bitterness of cooked garlic.
- Finely dice 1/2 an onion and add to the oil. Reduce heat.
- Cook the onion until it begins to almost caramelize.
- Add the sherry wine to the onions and turn up the heat.
- Add the strained beans and season with salt and pepper.
- Finely dice the mushrooms and add them to the mixture until soft.
- Portion mixture to four bowls while poaching one egg to top each dish.
More Tapas Recipes to Try
Salmorejo – Andalusian Cold Tomato Soup
Ajo Blanco Soup – Chilled Almond Soup