Monday, March 31, 2014

Recipe: Zuppa di Fave (Fava Bean Soup)


We recently found these dried fava beans in a supermarket during our spring break travels. Now that we're back Heather cooked 'em in one of our favorite soups. While we don't think they're quite as good as those we've bought in Sicily, they're worth trying if you come across them. Here's Heather's recipe:

500 g. dried, peeled fava beans
1 medium potato
salt and white pepper to taste

Soak the beans in water for a couple of hours or overnight. Strain and rinse, then cook in a large pot with water to cover along with the potato, peeled and cut into 1" chunks. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for an hour or until everything breaks up easily with a spoon. These beans do stink a bit while cooking, but trust us, it's worth it. If things look dry while cooking add a bit more water, If things are too wet when everything is cooked, drain away a bit of water.
Now mix well, as you want a puree. A hand-held immersion blender works well for this. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Dress this basic puree up with drizzles of extra virgin olive oil or saute some spinach, kale, chicory or other leafy green and top the zuppa. For a heartier dish, cook up some Italian sausage and crumble it on top. Buon appetito!

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