Difficulty Level: easy
If you’re looking for a warm and comforting dish, this fava bean soup should go on your to-cook list. It’s hearty without being heavy. You can even customize how smooth you want the finished soup, so that it can feel more rustic or restaurant-like, depending on your cooking requirements.
The soup includes fava beans, veggies, and simple spices to produce a rich, earthy flavor. The onion, garlic, carrot, and celery help create a base, while the cumin and coriander add depth. Finish with a little lemon juice and parsley to bring even more freshness.
This is a great recipe for any time of year, suitable for a light meal or a first course in something more formal. Check out the ingredients and cooking steps below to find out more.
Fava Bean Soup Ingredients
- 2 cups of fresh or frozen fava beans, shelled
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
Fava Bean Soup Instructions
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring it to a boil.
- Add the fava beans and cook them briefly, for around 3 minutes for fresh beans or around 10 minutes for frozen ones.
- Once cooked, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them straight into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
- Once the beans have cooled, remove the outer skins and set the peeled beans aside. This step takes a little time, but it helps give the soup a smoother texture.
- In the same pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, then cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and turns translucent. Stir often so the garlic does not burn.
- Add the diced carrot and celery to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and bring everything to a gentle boil.
- Add the peeled fava beans, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes so the flavors can come together.
- Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or a regular blender. For a thicker, more textured soup, blend only part of it.
- Return the soup to the pot if needed and warm it through gently.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with fresh parsley before serving.