Mexican Style Fava Bean Soup
Caldo de Habas Para Cuaresma
This is a very healthy soup that is popular during lent in Mexico.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of Dry Fava Beans
24 Grape Tomatoes
4 Celery Ribs
2 Carrots
2 cloves of Garlic
1 Onion
8 cups of Vegetable Broth
1/4 teaspoon of Cumin
1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon of Mexican Oregano (whole)
1/4 cup of chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste
Soak the beans separately overnight so they'll be easier to cook the next day.
When it's time to cook, rinse the beans well and put them to simmer in 8 cups of veggie broth. It'll be about 15-30 min if you pre-soaked, up to an hour if you didn't. Simmer til they soften up. Skim the surface of the soup if you have any foam.
After the beans soften up, take your potato masher and mash the beans a little to thicken up the soup. You mash it as much as you like.
Chop the onion, carrots and celery into bite sized pieces. Mince the garlic.
Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and spices to the pot and simmer for about 20 min.
Turn off the heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and cilantro at the end.
Top with a little extra fresh cilantro when serving.
Note: If you like your soup being thicker and creamier, then use less water. I happen to like a lot of broth but the traditional dish tends to be a bit thicker.