Fava Beans: The Surprising Alternative to Avocado Toast

Avocado prices are rising, the fruit travels from far away, ripens unpredictably and too often ends up in the bin: avocados have an image problem. Now, a hobby gardener in Britain is showing how to grow a substitute for the much-loved green spread yourself - using a very different vegetable that thrives easily on UK balconies and tastes surprisingly close to the creamy original.

Why always avocado? The case against the craze

For years, avocados have stood for healthy eating: green in colour, creamy in texture and perfectly photogenic on toast. Yet the reality in supermarkets looks rather different, with high prices, inconsistent quality, excessive packaging and long transport routes.

“Anyone who buys avocados regularly pays not only at the till, but also through their environmental footprint.”

Most avocados come from South or Central America, require large amounts of water to grow and travel thousands of kilometres. There is also an everyday practical issue: they are either rock-hard or already brown by the time you want to cut them open. Many are thrown away because it is so difficult to catch their ideal ripeness.

That is exactly where an idea from a British allotment comes in: why not use a hardy plant suited to local conditions, sow it yourself and harvest it fresh, while still getting that feeling of “green luxury” on toast?

The unexpected alternative: fava beans as a spread

Amy Chapman, a gardener known on social media for her cottage-garden tips, swears by an alternative few people would expect: broad beans, also called field beans or fava beans.

She suggests blending cooked beans with a little oil and garlic, then spreading the mixture over toasted bread. A squeeze of lemon and a little salt create a green cream that strongly resembles avocado in both appearance and consistency - but with a more local character.

“A few handfuls of beans, a little oil and garlic become a spread in minutes that can easily replace avocado toast.”

The suggestion has drawn both ridicule and praise in social-media comments. Many users point out that beans cost a fraction of the price of avocados, can be stored without spoiling immediately and can even be grown right outside your own door.

How to sow fava beans on a balcony or in the garden

The key advantage of this alternative is that you need neither a greenhouse nor a huge garden. A sunny balcony or a small bed is enough, as the plants cope well with the UK climate.

Choosing the right sowing time

• Spring: Sow from around March/April, once the ground is no longer frozen.
• Autumn: In mild areas, you can also sow in October, allowing the plants to get going in spring.
• Position: Choose a sunny to partially shaded spot, preferably with some protection from wind.

If mice or birds are a problem in the garden, start the beans in pots or deep seed trays. For balconies, use a large container at least 25–30 centimetres deep.

Sowing fava beans step by step

• Fill a large pot or bed with humus-rich soil.
• Plant the beans around 5–7 centimetres deep and cover them with soil.
• Leave roughly 15–20 centimetres between each seed.
• Water them in, then keep the soil lightly moist over the following weeks.
• Support the plants later if necessary as they grow taller.

Looking after them is straightforward: give them plenty of sun and water from time to time, and that is all they need. Fava beans are much hardier than many delicate vegetables and will even tolerate a few dry days.

A soil bonus: fava beans as a natural fertiliser

Fava beans are useful not only in the kitchen but also in the vegetable bed. They are legumes, meaning bacteria on their roots enable them to fix nitrogen from the air.

“Growing fava beans means you harvest more than beans - you also improve your soil at the same time.”

Once you have harvested, leave the roots in the soil, where they release some of the nitrogen they have fixed. This nutrient is then available to the next crop, such as tomatoes, peppers or lettuce.

For this reason, many home gardeners grow fava beans as an early crop or between other crops. They provide a harvest while preparing the soil for the following season, without chemical fertiliser.

Turning beans into the perfect toast spread

Switching from avocado to beans starts in the kitchen. The basic recipe is exceptionally simple and can be adapted to suit your taste.

Basic recipe for green bean cream

• 250 g fresh or frozen fava beans (shelled)
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: lemon juice, fresh herbs (mint, parsley or basil)
• Cook the beans in lightly salted water for 4–6 minutes, until soft.
• Drain them and leave them to cool briefly.
• Put them into a tall container with the oil, garlic and seasonings.
• Blend into a smooth cream using a hand blender or food processor.
• If needed, add a little more oil or a spoonful of cooking water until you reach the desired consistency.

The cream is ideal on toasted bread, but it also works as a dip for raw vegetables, a sandwich filling or a topping for bowls.

How does it compare with avocado?

Fava beans taste more savoury and less “buttery” than avocado. However, with enough oil, a little lemon juice and fresh herbs, they still make a very creamy, fresh spread with a lightly nutty note.

“Anyone expecting beans to taste exactly like avocado will be disappointed - but anyone open to a new version of ‘green on toast’ will be pleasantly surprised.”

Many people even find the bean version more pleasant because it feels less fatty and is easier to season. Spices such as chilli, cumin or smoked paprika can quickly turn the simple spread into a small gourmet project.

Climate impact, cost and nutrients: where beans excel

There is another benefit: using fava beans instead of avocado can save both money and emissions. The plants grow in temperate regions, and ideally only the seeds need transporting. Even shop-bought beans grown in Europe travel a much shorter distance than imported avocados.

• Shorter transport routes: Lower CO₂ emissions and greater local sourcing.
• Cheaper: Seeds cost little and the harvest is plentiful.
• Less food waste: Dried beans keep for a long time, while fresh ones can be frozen.
• High in protein: Compared with avocado, beans provide considerably more plant protein.

Avocados do provide plenty of unsaturated fat, but fava beans supply protein, fibre and minerals such as iron and magnesium. If you miss avocado’s fat content, simply add good olive oil for a balanced combination.

Practical tips for the balcony and kitchen

Anyone keen to try it can begin with just a few pots. Three or four larger containers of fava beans will often produce enough beans in early summer for several bowls of spread. Any surplus can be blanched and frozen.

In the kitchen, it is worth preparing a larger batch of the cream at once. It keeps well in the fridge for two to three days. A little extra oil on top prevents it from drying out. For more variety, divide the base cream and season each portion differently - one with mint and lemon, another with chilli and roasted garlic.

The bean spread is also well suited to people reducing their meat consumption: its high protein content makes it more filling than a plain avocado spread, while making breakfast or brunch more sustainable and nourishing.