Morocco Food | Morocco Cuisine | Morocco Recipes

Dried Broad Been Soup

December 25th, 2006

Beyssara
Beyssara, or Beyssar, depending on who you speak to, is a street-breakfast staple, somewhere between a thick soup and a thin puree. In Marrakesh it is cooked in large, round earthenware jars which are balanced over charcoal fires in a tilted position. The narrow opening of the jar faces the cool and he ladles the soup out into bowls using a long handled spoon. Serves 4-6

ingredients

• 250 g/9 oz dried split broad beans, soaked overnight with 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda added to the water
• 2 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons each ground cumin and paprika
• scant ½ teaspoon dried chillies crushed to a coarse powder, or taste
• sea salt
• extra virgin olive oil

preparation

• Rinse the broad bean, which will have swelled to twice original size, and put them in a large saucepan. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and the spices and cover with water (about 2 liters / 3 ½ pints). Bring to the boil over a medium high heat, then cover the pan and leave to boil for 30 minutes or until the broad beans have turned into a mush.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
• Discard the garlic and add sea salt to taste. Pour into a shallow serving bowl, drizzle olive oil all over and sprinkle with a little more cumin. Serve very hot, with more oil and cumin for those who like it.

Entry Filed under: Soups