Lebanese Breakfast with Foul Mudammas and Labneh

About This Recipe

Foul mudammas is a breakfast staple across the Levant, cooked fava beans mashed with garlic, lemon and olive oil until they form a warm, hearty dip, traditionally eaten scooped up with fresh pita rather than by fork. Alongside it sits labneh, a thick strained yogurt with a tang somewhere between yogurt and soft cheese, drizzled generously with olive oil and often topped with a scatter of fresh mint or za'atar. Together with sliced tomato, cucumber, olives and warm bread, this simple spread makes for a filling, protein-rich Lebanese breakfast that requires little active cooking, most of the work going into good seasoning rather than technique.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cans (400g each)fava beans(drained)
• 3 tbspolive oil(for foul, plus more for serving)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 2 cupslabneh
• 2tomatoes(sliced, for serving)
• 1cucumber(sliced, for serving)
• 1/2 cupolives(for serving)
• 4pita breads(warmed)
• 1 tspza'atar(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the fava beans

   Heat the drained fava beans with a splash of water in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through.

2. 2

   Mash

   Mash the beans partially with a fork, leaving some texture rather than making it perfectly smooth.

3. 3

   Season

   Stir in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and salt.

   Mash the beans only partially — foul mudammas should have some texture, not be a completely smooth puree.

4. 4

   Plate the labneh

   Spread the labneh on a plate, drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with za'atar.

5. 5

   Arrange the spread

   Arrange the warm foul, labneh, sliced tomato, cucumber and olives together on the table.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve with warm pita for scooping.

Variations

• •

  Adding a chopped hard-boiled egg on top of the foul is a common, protein-boosting addition.

• •

  A spicier version stirs in a bit of chopped fresh chile or a dash of hot sauce.

• •

  Fresh fava beans, when in season, can replace canned for a more traditional preparation, though they require more prep.

Storage

Refrigerate the foul mixture up to 4 days in an airtight container; labneh keeps for 1-2 weeks refrigerated. Reheat the foul gently with a splash of water before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions