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Fava Bean Soup

17/11/2023

Fava bean soup is a simple and nutritious dish, typical of Italian peasant cuisine, especially from the south. Below you will find the traditional recipe with an Italian touch that makes it even tastier.

Ingredients

  • 300 g of dried fava beans
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 carrot
  • A few bay leaves
  • 80 g of smoked pancetta or pork cheek (optional, to add an extra note of flavor)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Water or vegetable broth as needed

Preparation

  1. The night before, soak the fava beans in a large bowl with plenty of cold water. Leave to soak for an entire night.
  2. The next day, drain the fava beans and remove the outer skin, if you prefer a finer and more delicate soup.
  3. Finely chop the onion, celery, and carrot to prepare a sauté. If you decide to use pancetta or pork cheek, cut it into small cubes.
  4. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables with the pancetta or pork cheek until they become translucent.
  5. Add the fava beans, a few bay leaves, salt, and pepper to your taste.
  6. Add water or vegetable broth to cover the fava beans by a few centimeters and bring to a boil.
  7. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and let simmer for about 1-2 hours, until the fava beans are soft and begin to fall apart, creating a natural cream.
  8. During cooking, adjust the salt and pepper, and if necessary, add more liquid to maintain the desired consistency.
  9. Once the fava beans are cooked and the consistency is creamy, you can remove the bay leaves and, if desired, blend part of the soup with an immersion blender to make it even creamier.
  10. Serve the fava bean soup hot, with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, some freshly ground black pepper.

Trivia

Fava bean soup is a dish that varies greatly from region to region in Italy. In some variations, tomato is added to the sauté for acidity and color, while in others, especially in Puglia, it is served with wild chicory or other bitter greens.

Fava Bean Soup