Sopa de Habas, Mexican Fava Bean Soup
Sopa de habas is a homely, deeply savory soup from central Mexico, dried fava beans simmered until they dissolve into their own creamy broth. Peeled favas need no soaking and break down on their own, which is what gives the soup its body with nothing more than a long, slow simmer. A single toasted guajillo blended with tomato colors and deepens the pot, cumin and epazote carry the Mexican backbone, and epazote in particular is cooked with beans across Mexico for reasons your digestion will thank you for. There is no oil and no salt: the flavor comes from toasting the chile and cumin, and a squeeze of lime at the table does the seasoning. Sliced radish on top adds the fresh crunch that finishes the bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fava beans, dried and peeled
- 1 whole Yellow onions, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 whole Guajillo, stemmed and seeded
- 3/4 cup Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp Cumin seed
- 2 sprigs Epazote
- 1 tbsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 4 wholes Radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Toast the guajillo in a dry pan for a few seconds a side until it smells nutty and puffs slightly, then cover it with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Toasting wakes the chile up and soaking softens it, and skipping the toast leaves the soup tasting flat and one-note.
- Toast the cumin seed in the same dry pan until fragrant, about a minute, then crush it. Freshly toasting and grinding cumin gives a warmth that pre-ground powder cannot, and it is the spice that reads unmistakably Mexican here.
- Sweat the onion and garlic in a pot with a few tablespoons of water until soft, about 8 minutes, then stir in the crushed cumin. Cooking the onion down slowly in water builds a sweet base with no oil.
- Add the peeled favas, the bouillon, epazote, and 5 cups (1.2 L) water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then simmer partly covered until the favas fall apart into a loose puree, about 45 minutes. Peeled dried favas cook down soft with no soak needed, and that self-thickening is the whole character of the soup, so let them go until they collapse.
- Blend the soaked guajillo with the crushed tomatoes until smooth, then stir the mixture into the pot and simmer 10 minutes more. Adding the chile and tomato late keeps their color bright and their flavor fresh rather than dulled by the long cook.
- Pull out the epazote sprigs. Finish off the heat with the cilantro, lime juice, and black pepper. The lime lifts the whole pot and takes the place of salt, so taste before adding anything else. Serve topped with the sliced radish for crunch.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 230 calories, 13 g protein, 11 g fiber, 110 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.
