Mexican cuisine · Soups & Stews

Sopa de Habas

A creamy dried fava bean soup with tomato, cilantro and diced nopal cactus, a classic for Lent.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g dried fava beans
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 200 g nopales (jarred cactus paddles)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1.5 L water
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 dried guajillo chile
• 1 lime
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the fava beans overnight in plenty of cold water; the next day, drain and rinse thoroughly.
2. Bring the beans to a boil with 1.5 L fresh water, the halved onion and 2 garlic cloves, and cook for 45–55 min., until they fall apart when stirred.
3. Seed the guajillo chile, toast it briefly in a dry pan and finely puree with the tomatoes, the remaining garlic and the cumin.
4. Finely dice the remaining onion, sauté in oil for 4 min., add the tomato mixture and reduce uncovered for 6–8 min., until darker and thick.
5. Add the sauce to the beans along with the drained nopales, season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 15 min.
6. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges – the soup should be creamy while still holding whole beans.