Sopa de Habas

Name: Sopa de Habas
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh fava beans or peas or 1/2 pound split dried fava beans, soaked overnight; 6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162), or water; 6 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 3 tomatoes, cored and sliced; 2 tablespoons cider vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped; 3 dried chiles, preferably chile negro, toasted, stemmed, seeded, and chopped; 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese, optional

December 14, 2011

When families in Mexico give up meat—either for Lent or for other reasons—they turn to soups like this one. You might have trouble finding fresh favas, though Latin markets frequently stock them, especially in spring, and I’ve even seen them at supermarkets in recent years. Their wonderful flavor has no exact match, but fresh peas are a good substitute. The best chile for this dish is the mildly hot dried chile negro; it’s best when toasted, which is an easy enough process: put the chiles in a dry, ungreased skillet over medium heat and cook, turning as each side browns, until browned and fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.

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