Fava Bean Soup with Crunch Toasts and Pasilla Crisps
6servings
Sopa de Habas con Pan Tostado y Chile Pasilla
Ingredients
1poundfava beans, peeled and dried
12cupschicken broth
1poundripe Roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2cupwhite onion, roughly chopped
2garlic cloves, peeled
3tablespoonssafflower oil, corn or vegetable oil
1teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonblack pepper
Pinch of cumin
2pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into small strips and quickly fried
6diagonal slicesof bolillo, telera or baguette, lightly brushed with oil and toasted
Olive oil to brush over the toast
To Prepare
In a bowl, cover the fava beans with cold water and let them soak anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. Drain. Place the lima beans and chicken broth in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Let it come to a medium simmer with the lid ajar and cook until the beans are thoroughly cooked and tender, about 50 to 55 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them cool a little bit. Puree in batches in the blender. Place in a container or a large bowl.
Meanwhile, puree the tomatoes along with the onion and garlic until smooth. In a large soup pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, but not smoking, pour in the tomato puree. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until it deepens in color and thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the lime bean puree. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper, and continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes, until all of the flavors have combined.
Ladle the soup in individual bowls. Garnish with a piece of toast, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkle some crunchy chile strips on top.
Note: To make the chile crisps, quickly fry the chile pieces in a saute pan with 1/4" oil set over medium heat. Once oil is hot but not smoking, quickly fry the crisps, literally 2 seconds, remove and place on a plate covered with paper towel.