Potato, Cucumber and Fava Bean Soup

Name: Potato, Cucumber and Fava Bean Soup
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: sea salt and black pepper; 100 g home-made or Greek yoghurt, thinned with a little milk and seasoned with 1 garlic clove crushed to a paste with salt; 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, leaves and stalks; 1 large cucumber, washed, skin peeled in strips, half on, half off; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds or caraway seeds; 2 medium potatoes, diced and lightly salted; 200 g dried fava beans (see Lebanese and Turkish Suppliers); 5 tablespoons olive oil; ½ large Spanish onion, thinly sliced

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Moro

By Samantha Clark and Samuel Clark

Published 2001

About

This is one of our favourite soups, which is Lebanese in origin. Fava beans are dried, skinned broad beans that have a nutty flavour. This soup can be enjoyed at room temperature in summer or warm. If you cannot source fava beans, simply make a potato and cucumber soup, using 4–5 medium potatoes (about 900g).

Ingredients

200 g dried fava beans (see Lebanese and Turkish Suppliers)
5 tablespoons olive oil

Asia
Lebanon
Mediterranean
Soup
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Summer

Method

Rinse the fava beans well and place in a large saucepan. Fill with 2 litres cold water and bring to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum, and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and reserve 500ml of the liquid. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is sweet and golden. Now a