Habas a la Catalana
Habas a la Catalana is a dish of early spring, when broad beans are young and sweet, and it is usually built on cured sausage and a splash of the region's anise liqueur. Left out of it entirely, the beans still shine, because the real backbone is a quick tomato and spring-onion sofrito and a last-minute fistful of mint. Frozen shelled favas make it an any-season side that costs very little. The beans braise gently in tomato and a spoon of sherry vinegar, which stands in for the wine and lends the depth that salt otherwise would. Mint goes on raw at the end, cutting the earthiness of the beans the way it has in Catalan kitchens for centuries.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fava beans, shelled, fresh or frozen
- 4 wholes Scallions, sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Canned crushed tomatoes, no-salt-added
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- 3 tbsp Mint, chopped
- 1 whole Bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the scallions and garlic in a wide pan with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Catalan cooks use tender spring onions here rather than a hard yellow onion, so they melt quickly and stay sweet and mild.
- Pull the pan briefly off the heat and stir in the sweet paprika, then return it right away. Paprika scorches and turns bitter in a hot dry pan in seconds, so it goes in on the residual heat and into the moisture of the aromatics.
- Add the crushed tomato and cook it down for 2 to 3 minutes until it darkens and loses its raw, tinny edge. This quick reduction is the sofrito that carries the dish, concentrating the tomato so it tastes cooked rather than sharp.
- Add the broad beans, bay leaf, sherry vinegar, and 0.5 cup (120 ml) water. Cover and braise gently until the beans are tender, about 12 minutes for fresh and 8 for frozen. The splash of vinegar stands in for the dry white wine or anise splash a Catalan kitchen would add, giving depth in place of salt.
- Discard the bay leaf, stir in the black pepper, and take the pan off the heat. Scatter the chopped mint over the top just before serving, since mint fades to nothing if it stews. It is the herb that makes this dish unmistakably Catalan.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 12 g protein, 10 g fiber, 50 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
