This soup is popular in several states in central Mexico, where fava beans are widely grown. The dish is prepared during Lent with dried broad beans, which give it its classic yellow color. Tomatoes, onion and garlic are added, and a garnish of cooked cactus blades (“nopales”), fresh chopped cilantro and crispy tortilla chips. Cooked broad beans can be left in pieces or blended until creamy. In this version we will accompany the soup with tortillas.
Ingredients for 4 portions
- Dried broad beans 200 g
- Tomatoes 300 g
- White onion 100 g
- Garlic 20 g
- Sunflower oil 60 ml
- Cactus shovels 250 g
- Green beans 100 g
- Fresh coriander 20 g
- Corn tortillas 320 g
- Halls q.b.
- Black pepper q.b.
Preparation
Rinse the fava beans and let them soak overnight.
Cook them in plenty of water for about 45 minutes, until tender.
Wash all vegetables and fresh herbs thoroughly.
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Dice the tomatoes and cactus blades into 1-cm chunks and the green beans into 2-cm chunks.
Very finely chop half of the cilantro. The other half will be used to flavor the soup.
Cut half the tortillas into strips. Bake them in the oven at 90° C until crisp and lightly browned.
Put the cactus blades in a bowl and add 5 g of salt. Let them rest so that they release the mucilage contained within them. Rinse them with plenty of water.
Blanch green beans by immersing them in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain them and plunge them into cold water.
Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté onion until translucent.
Add oil and continue cooking over low heat.
Add the tomatoes and let them cook until tender.
Add the fava beans with a sufficient amount of cooking liquid.
Let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes, adding a little water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk the mixture and put it back on the stove, add the cactus blades and a cilantro stalk to scent it. Remove the cilantro stalk before serving.
Garnish with crispy tortilla chips, green beans and finely chopped cilantro. Serve the soup accompanied by warm tortillas.
To limit our impact on the environment, we advise you to remain within 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, including all the courses you eat. Bear in mind that plant-based dishes are more likely to have a low environmental impact.
Even though some of our suggestions exceed the recommended 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, that doesn't mean you should never make them; it's the overall balance that counts. Regularly eating a healthy and eco-friendly diet in the long term offsets even the dishes with the most impact, as long as you don't make them too often.