Instructions
Rinse the broad beans thoroughly. Place the drained broad beans in a large saucepan. Add fresh, unsalted water to cover the beans completely. The water level should be above the beans. Put the lid on the saucepan. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook the beans for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until they are very tender. Check the water level occasionally. If needed, add more hot water to keep the beans covered. Add salt to taste after the beans have softened. Once the beans are tender, let some of the cooking liquid evaporate. This will slightly reduce the sauce. Take out one or two ladles of the cooked beans. Mash these beans with a small amount of their cooking liquid until smooth. Stir the mashed beans back into the saucepan with the whole beans. This step will thicken the sauce. Serve the cooked Ful Medames warm in individual soup bowls. Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over each serving. Serve Arab bread on the side. Offer extra-virgin olive oil, quartered lemons, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, chili-pepper flakes, and ground cumin separately. Guests can add these seasonings to their individual bowls as desired. Gently crush the beans with a fork while eating to help them absorb the dressing ingredients.