Fava Beans Instead of Avocado: The Green Toast Spread You Can Grow

Avocado prices are rising, the fruit travels long distances, ripens unpredictably and too often ends up in the bin: avocados have an image problem. Now, a hobby gardener in the UK is showing how to grow an alternative to the popular green spread yourself – using a completely different vegetable that also thrives on balconies and tastes remarkably similar to the creamy original.

Why always avocado? The case against the hype

For years, avocados have been seen as a symbol of healthy eating: green in colour, creamy in texture and ideal for a photograph on toast. Yet the reality at the supermarket is rather different, with high prices, inconsistent quality, excessive packaging and lengthy transport routes.

“Anyone who buys avocados regularly pays not only at the checkout, 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 miles. There is also a familiar practical issue: they are either rock hard or already brown by the time you want to cut them open. Many are thrown away because catching the perfect stage of ripeness is so difficult.

This is exactly where an idea from a British allotment comes in: why not use a hardy plant suited to the local climate, grow it from seed and harvest it fresh, while still enjoying that sense of “green luxury” on toast?

The surprising alternative: fava beans as a toast spread

Amy Chapman, a gardener known on social media for her cottage-garden tips, champions an alternative few people would expect: broad beans, also known as 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 pinch of salt create a green cream that closely resembles avocado in both appearance and texture – but with a more local character.

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

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

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

The major benefit of this alternative is that it requires neither a greenhouse nor a huge garden. A sunny balcony or small plot is enough, as the plants cope well with the Central European climate.

Choosing the right time to sow

• Spring: Sow from around March or April, once the soil is no longer frozen.
• Autumn: In mild areas, sowing is also possible in October, allowing the plants to get going quickly in spring.
• Position: Choose a sunny or partially shaded spot, ideally with some protection from the wind.

If mice or birds are a problem in the garden, start the beans in pots or deep seed trays. For a balcony, 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.

Care could hardly be simpler: plenty of sun, occasional watering and that is all. Fava beans are far tougher than many delicate vegetables and will tolerate a few dry days.

A soil bonus: fava beans as natural fertiliser

Fava beans offer benefits beyond the kitchen. They are legumes, meaning bacteria on their roots enable them to bind nitrogen from the air.

“Growing fava beans means you do not just harvest beans – you improve your soil at the same time.”

After harvesting, the roots remain in the soil and release some of the nitrogen they have bound. That nutrient is then available to the next crop, such as tomatoes, peppers or lettuce.

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

Turning beans into the perfect toast spread

Making the switch from avocado to beans begins in the kitchen. The basic recipe could not be simpler, and it 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 and fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley or basil
• Cook the beans in lightly salted water for 4–6 minutes, until soft.
• Drain and leave them to cool briefly.
• Put them in a tall container with the oil, garlic and seasoning.
• Blend into a cream using a stick blender or food processor.
• Add a little more oil or a spoonful of cooking water if needed, until it reaches the desired consistency.

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

How does it taste compared with avocado?

Fava beans taste slightly more savoury and less “buttery” than avocado. However, with enough oil, a little lemon juice and fresh herbs, they make a very creamy, fresh spread with a mildly 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 appealing, as it feels less fatty and is easier to season. Spices such as chilli, cumin or smoked paprika can quickly turn this straightforward spread into a small gourmet project.

Climate impact, cost and nutrients: where fava beans excel

There is another advantage: replacing avocado with fava beans 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 regional production.
• More affordable: Seeds cost little and plants produce a generous harvest.
• 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.

Avocado does provide plenty of unsaturated fat, but fava beans contain protein, fibre and minerals including iron and magnesium. Anyone missing avocado’s fat content can 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 are often enough to harvest a bowlful for spreads several times in early summer. 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 basic cream and flavour each portion differently – one with mint and lemon, another with chilli and roasted garlic.

The bean spread is also a good option for people reducing their meat consumption: its high protein content makes it more filling than a plain avocado spread, creating a more sustainable and nutritious breakfast or brunch.