Sopa de Habas: Mexican fava bean soup

Eden Owen-Jones Fava Lunch soup Soups Split Fava Beans Supper Vegan Vegetarian Winter

August 23, 2024

Introduced by the Spanish during occupation and colonisation, fava beans have been used in Mexico for hundreds of years. While researching the use of legumes in Central and Southern America, Eden Owen-Jones came across many variations of this simple soup, made and eaten primarily during Lent. Most recipes use chicken stock, but Eden packs in plenty of rich and savoury notes into the dish while keeping it vegetarian.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the broth

200g Split Fava Beans
1lt Water
½ Brown Onion, peeled
1 Bay Leaves
6 Coriander Stems (leaves on)
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the soup

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Brown Onion, finely diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Jalapeño Chilli
10g Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped, plus more to serve
3 Large Tomatoes, finely diced, keep 1 for garnish

Method

Add all the broth ingredients to a large saucepan and bring the boil. Continue to boil for 10 minutes, before covering and leaving to gently simmer for 25 minutes. You may have to occasionally skim some foam off the top when cooking.
Meanwhile add the olive oil to a saucepan on a medium heat. When hot add the onion and begin to caramelise, stirring frequently for around 10 minutes until the onion is golden. Then add the garlic, jalapeño and coriander and continue to cook for another minute. Add 2 of the diced tomatoes to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until they have broken down.
Once the fava beans have fully cooked and began to break down slightly, remove the bay leaves, onion and coriander. Add the tomato mixture to the broth and stir to fully incorporate. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, then season to taste.
To serve divide the soup between 4 bowls, adding a little of the remaining tomato on top along with some fresh coriander.

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