Besara Egyptian Fava Bean Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat and set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Add the shelled fava beans to the boiling water. Once the water has come back to a boil, cook the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and immediately put them into the bowl of salted ice water. Once the beans have cooled completely, strain them from the ice water. Peel the tough, light green outer layer from the beans. You will be left with a delicate, lovely vibrantly green tender fava bean. MMMMMM! Reserve these little lovelies.
• Coat a large saucepan over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add the bacon (if using, if not just start with the onions and celery) and once the bacon has started to become brown and crispy and is very aromatic, add the diced onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook the onions and celery until they become translucent and are very aromatic. Add the smashed garlic cloves and the diced potato, stir to coat with the oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 of the reserved fava beans and 4 cups stock. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• When the potatoes are tender enough to slide easily off a fork when cooked, puree the soup in a blender* until smooth. You probably will have to do this in batches. Return the soup to the pot, and add the remaining fava beans. If the soup is too thick, add some the remaining stock to adjust the consistency. Taste the soup to check the seasoning and reseason, if needed.
• Ladle the soup into serving dishes, give them a little sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil.
• Fava beany-weany delicious!

Steps:

• Thoroughly rinse and drain the fava beans.
• In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add fava beans, vegetable broth, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne. Cook three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed. Begin to mash the beans by hand or with a masher. You are looking for a consistency that is not solid but thick enough to be scooped up using bread. If it seems too thick, thin with additional broth or water.
• Mix remaining spices together and reserve.
• To serve, place Bissara into a shallow soup bowl or dessrt plate with a high lip. Sprinkle ¼ of the mixed spices. Drizzle additional oil on top. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
• Serve warm or hot.

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

Steps:

• Soak fava beans overnight.
• Drain fava beans and save water.
• Peel the skins from the fava beans and place the beans in large saucepan.
• Measure 6 cups of soaking water and add to the fava beans.
• Bring to a boil on medium high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are soft.
• Once beans are tender, remove beans from heat and puree in a blender.
• Return pureed fava beans to saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Add water if needed.
• Stir in cumin, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and bring to a second boil.
• Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle parsley on top.