Bessara (Dried Fava Bean Soup)
- Total Time
- About 4 hours 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound skinless, split dried fava beans
- Salt to taste
- 5garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ to ½cup olive oil
- ½teaspoon paprika
- 1½ to 2teaspoons cumin
- ¼teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1large bunch coriander chopped, about ½ cup
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
218 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 294 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Soak the beans in water for 2 hours, drain and put in a pot with 2 quarts of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until the beans are very soft. Add the salt and mash the beans by hand or, for a smoother texture, puree in a blender and return to the pot.
- Step 2
Fry the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Add to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes longer, adding water if the soup becomes too thick. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and the coriander. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
This is an easy but delicious recipe. The unsoaked beans only took 20 minutes to cook in my pressure cooker. After the soup sat it became more solid than soup, but we liked it that way as well. I think other beans such as cannellini or navy beans or the various dals would work well too.
Claudia Roden - The Book of Jewish Food - p. 317 -318 2 - 8 T olive oil 1 1/2 t paprika 1 1/2 - 2 t cumin 1/2 t turmeric pinch of cayenne rest of recipe is identical
This is delicious with a few modifications, I toast the spices first, add olive oil and then some onions and a carrot and sauté until soft, season with salt. Then I add the soaked beans and water to cover and simmer until done. I add grated garlic in the end and finish off with lemon juice and fresh herbs, sometimes even some raw sliced onions, cut tomatoes and cucumbers go on top, delicious!
I was disappointed in this recipe. I was so looking forward to my first Fava bean soup. The flavor was cumin top heavy, and not enough going on with other flavors. Next time I may add tomato, and onion. Not sure what else I could do? Maybe garam masala?
I added one lemon and it was too much. Definitely taste as you go. I thought the soup was actually delicious without any lemon. Next time I would use 1/2 a lemon or just some zest.
Quick-soaked beans by bringing to a boil in 1 qt water for 2 minutes, then letting sit for an hour. Then pressure cooked at 15lb for 12 minutes with a pinch of asefotedia and additional quart of water, let cool naturally. Pureed with an immersion blender. Also I used the Claudia Roden spices (spicier) and added 1 Tbsp olive oil during a 40 minute simmer (was too thin after 30). Very glad I made it spicier.
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