Spiced Fava Bean Soup

Speaking of being distracted, I can see the handle of the vacuum

 cleaner in the background of this photo. Hmmmmmm. Curious.

Want to showcase your spring fava beans in a deliciously spicy and flavorful soup? I thought you might. Bon Appetit’ magazine sends me DAILY recipes on purpose in order to derail my plans for the day, totally friggin’ distract me from what I’m supposed to be doing and, in general, simply FORCE me to try new recipes. All of the recipes are perfectly in tune with the season and the weather and always have something to do with food that you didn’t know you were craving and then all of a sudden, STOP EVERYTHING and let’s hang out in the kitchen! Your messy closet isn’t going anywhere. You can vacuum tomorrow. You don’t need a shower either! No worries, you sloppy dork. Just relax and cook. 

Charlie

So, largely because of Bon Appetit’ and their sneaky, mischievous ways, and partially from all of the other inspiration that keeps throwing me off course (I feel like Charlie on the walking trail when he simply cannot stop sniffing everything in sight)! - - - - because of all of that, this is what I’ve tried out in the last couple of days, what I plan to try and all of the other food paraphernalia, sugar plums and other visions dancing in my head:

Fresh Rhubarb & Strawberry Compote with Dried Tart Cherries (just throwin’ down with no recipe) . . . served with Honey Greek Yogurt (and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - oops YES)

Asparagus & Pea Salad with Crispy Fried Shallots (slightly adapted from this: CLICK) ~ I made this without the favas and without the bacon. Still fab. 

Mark, nailing down his shelling technique

Spiced Fava Bean Soup (which I’m writing about below, but here’s the original recipe from Bon Appetit' if you like.

Spring Greens with Quick Pickled Vegetables (I’m going to try this when I finish writing here) - you can read about it here.

Crispy Fried Shallots (soaked in milk, then coated in seasoned flour) - (will try those when I finish writing here also).  Note: The shallots on the asparagus salad were simply fried naked. These will be a little more like “onion ring style”.

On to the soup. I adapted the recipe below to use fresh fava beans instead of dried fava beans. So, for one, they're FRESH and for two, it cuts down on the total cooking time. The bean flavor and texture are a bit different. Tru Dat. I also reduced the amount of olive oil and added cayenne pepper for a little extra heat. Either way . . . greatness. Here’s a KPK insider tip: Trader Joe’s carries frozen fava beans in 14 ounce bags!!!!! *No need to shell (even though it’s fun). So, with that in mind, you can throw this together in a snap anytime (if you happen to not have the time to embrace fresh favas while in season). I promise you, this is a DELICIOUS recipe either way. And . . . your house will be filled with the exquisite aromas of onions, garlic and exotic spices. 

*THIS JUST IN: TRADER JOE'S NO LONGER CARRIES FROZEN FAVA BEANS. SORRY :( - BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS SOUP IS DELICIOUS WITH EDAMAME WHICH YOU CAN BUY AT TJ'S AND EVERYWHERE . . . SHELLED, FROZEN & READY TO GO! MADE THIS WITH EDAMAME! PROTEIN BONUS . . . FABULOUS!

Spiced Fava Bean Soup

with Rice & Tomato

1 large or 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

4 garlic gloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil 

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice

finely ground cayenne pepper to taste

14 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand 

(half of a 28 ounce can with half of the juice)

8 cups (64 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 cups of shelled fresh fava beans OR

1 (14 ounce) package of frozen lava beans (if you can find them) OR
1 (12 ounce) package (or more) frozen shelled edamame (green soy beans) (Trader Joe’s & everywhere)

1/4 cup of whole grain brown rice

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

chopped, unsalted roasted pistachios for garnish (optional)

Here’s all you need to do:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened. Add the spices and cook another 5 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often for another 5 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the beans and reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, partially covered. Add the rice, simmer and stir occasionally, partially covered, for about 30-45 minutes until the rice is perfectly cooked. Whole grain brown rice holds its firmness nicely and will be delicious. I think white rice cooks faster. Add whatever rice you like. It will be great! Be sure to taste-test for salt, pepper & cayenne. Adjust according to your taste buds. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, or, in Mark’s case, a dollop of sour cream. I opted for "sans nuts" because a) I didn’t have any pistachios in stock and b) I don’t know if I wasn’t feeling the pistachio love. Let me know if you try the pistachio garnish. Report back.

I will make this again and again and swap out the favas for other beans. It's a great basic soup. The spices are spot-on awesome and there’s just enough rice to give the soup heft. My most recent favorite canned tomato is La San Marzano brand (available at Mariano’s and other fine stores). They are sweet and amazing and not loaded with seeds as some other brands. I still love Dei Fratelli but I recommend that you try La San Marzano not to be confused with all of the San Marzano tomatoes on the market). Also, my close buds know that I recommend Swanson brand “Natural Goodness” 100% Fat Free, 33% Less Sodium Chicken Broth. Tastes clean and flavorful. Note: NOT the 99% Fat Free. The two taste completely different. Secrets revealed. Oh, and Morton kosher salt. AND . . . I do love grinding my own spices. It’ll save you some cash too : ). Buy an inexpensive coffee grinder and dedicate it to your spices. You’ll agree with me. I know you will.

ENJOY ALL OF THE INSPIRATION AROUND YOU, MY FRIENDS......….

SPRING LOVE,

Katie

Cauliflower & Tomato Soup with Pasta

Capturing the spirit of "la cucina Italiana", or more accurately, cucina di povera, the cooking of the poor, this dish will make you feel happy to be home whether you can afford to go out for truffles and foie gras or not! Amelia always says there's elegance in simplicity. I think that applies to food also. Few ingredients. A lot of flavor. This is one of those combinations that you're going to think is NOT good, but it's GREAT! Like this one time (....at band camp, lol) when I was making a classic Tuscan style salad of celery, portabella mushrooms, Parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice, my sis-in-law, KPK cohort member and videographer, Norma, gave me that "not-so-sure-ick" look like it was going to suck. It is, of course, now, her favorite salad. See how this works? So, grab a head of cauliflower and get your peasant on. Let's make minestra di cavolfiore. If you have an iPad, make sure you download Mario Batali's app (which is the source of the original recipe where I watched him make this soup). He has some really straight-up, simplistic Italian classics in nice short video presentations. Great inspiration and instruction. I modified this recipe (I didn't realize it until I re-reviewed it - for example, I use more sauce and water/broth and a lot less garlic). You can definitely adjust the quantities and it will be good no matter what. Make it your own. You'll cook it and eat it again and again. I can't explain it. You just will. Right, Tom?

Cauliflower & Tomato Soup with Pasta

~ Minestra di Cavolfiore ~

about 4 tablespoons of olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, separated into large florets, (cut up and use as much as possible without the fibrous base)

1 large onion - red or sweet or whatever you have on hand, cut in large dice or sliced

a few bay leaves (3)

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 large can of tomato sauce (28 oz.) (I use Dei Fratelli Tomato Sauce - you can use your favorite prepared sauce)

about 7 cups of water or chicken broth (2 tomato cans full) : )

red pepper flakes to taste

about 6 oz. of your favorite pasta*

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, onion and bay leaves. Season with a little salt and cook over medium high heat until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook a bit more. Add the tomato sauce and rinse out the can with water or broth twice (2 cans = about 7 cups of liquid). Add some red pepper flakes and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 25-30 minutes. At this point, the soup still won't seem terribly interesting. But now, check the seasoning and adjust if needed. If you're using water, you'll most likely need a little more kosher salt. Then, add the pasta and cook at a low boil until the pasta reaches desired doneness. This should be the same amount of time that is shown on the package directions. As it boils, the soup will become thick and wonderful from the pasta starch...Transformation occurs. OOOoooohhhhh.... Deliciousness. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Bread and butter. Salad. That's all. I feel like making another pot right now.

*Pasta note: If you use a rustic thick and starchy pasta, you will have a thick and hearty soup. You can also use little shells or macaroni elbows or mezzi rigatoni. Sky's the limit here. I love Conte brand Fusilli del Contadino. It's one of those 100% durum wheat semolina pastas which just happens to be from Calabria. I just grab a big handful or two and break them in half so the soup is a little easier to eat. Just the right amount of slurp. Mmmmmm.....

If you're pretty well stocked, you'll just have to run out and buy one head of cauliflower. Whatrya' waitin' for? Go now! Click HERE for the printable version of the recipe (for Sharon M & other printers) . . . . .

Love, Katie

Katie's Passione Cucina di Povera (hey, I just quit my day job, so there will probably be a lot more of these recipes for awhile, lol)