Bessara is a tasty fava bean soup from Morocco, North Africa, which is also often served as a dipping sauce

http://www.the-foodist.com/recipes/moroccan-bean-soup-bessara-recipe/

Moroccan Bean Soup Bessara Recipe

02/01/2011

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Bessara is a tasty fava bean soup from Morocco, North Africa, which is also often served as a dipping sauce.
The Bessara recipe is quite easy, if You want to serve it as a bean soup, just take a bit more water and if You prefer it as a dipping sauce, boil it down to a creamy consistence. If You can´t find fava beans, which are traditionally used in Morocco for the Bessara, alternatively use red lentils or Jack-beans or even fresh or dried green peas. Garnish the mouthwatering moroccan soup with Your choice of fresh chives, parsley, spring onions or dried mint leaves.

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Image: Moroccan Bean Soup Bessara
Photographer: Anuparp Ratanakhon
Recipe: Moroccan Bean Soup Bessara
Ingredients:
500 g dried Fava beans (broad beans)
alternatively red lentils or Jack-beans
2 l water
5-6 garlic cloves
salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons cumin (jeera)
1 tablespoon paprika powder (noble sweet)
freshly ground black pepper
lemonjuice to taste
Italian parsley, chives, spring onions
or dried mint to taste
Preparation:
Soak the fava beans in cold water
(red lentils don´t have to be soaked and peeled) and peel.
Bring water in a pot to the boil and boil the beans and crushed garlic cloves
until they´re done. It needs about 2 – 3 hours.
Mash them in a blender and strain through a sieve.
Roast the cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant
and pound them to powder in a mortar.
Add cumin powder, paprika powder, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper
and salt to the Bessara soup and garnish to taste with spring onion rolls,
chopped chive, chopped parsley or dried mint leaves.
Serve as a soup or a dipping sauce with freshly baked pita bread.