A delicious balance between decadent and nutritious, this satisfying, creamy fava soup with fresh dill is perfect if you want to try something new! With instructions on how to use dried or fresh fava beans.
Pick over the beans and remove any stones, pieces of dirt, or irregular beans. Put them in a large bowl; fill the bowl with cold water and soak overnight.
Cook the Beans
The next day, drain the beans, add them to a large pot, fill the pot with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down, cover the pot, and cook until the beans are tender (about 2 to 3 hours), adding more water as necessary and stirring occasionally; drain.
Make the Soup
Heat the oil in a lidded 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a bowl and set aside.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the cabbage, onion, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until the veggies start to soften, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the carrot, potato, marjoram, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, water, beans, and crisped bacon. Turn the heat up to high, cover the pot, bring the soup up to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer and cook until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and stir in cream and dill. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with fresh dill if desired.
Notes
Bacon: Instead of turkey bacon, you can use beef bacon or pork bacon and omit the oil.
Potato: Any type of potato will work here. If you use a Russet potato (or other starchy potato with a thick skin), just peel it before slicing. A starchy potato (such as a Russet) will likely disintegrate into the soup, which helps to thicken it without flour (this soup is gluten free!). However, if you use a yellow potato (such as Yukon Gold), there's no need to peel it because the skin is thin. Also, yellow potatoes keep them their shape better in soup.
How to Use Fresh Fava Beans Instead of Dried in This Soup
Fresh fava beans also work well in this recipe! Here is how to use them:
Shell the fava beans. This is done the same way you would shell green peas. Basically, you want to tear off one end (it will be like a string), and pull it. Then you can easily pop the pod open at the seam and remove the beans.
Peel off the tough outer skin of the beans. All you have to do is squeeze a bean and push it out of the outer coating.
Now your fava beans are ready to eat or to add to any recipe you like! To use them in this soup, simply add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Blanch the fava beans. Bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil, then add the beans and cook for 1 minute, and drain. Plunge the blanched beans into a bowl of ice water to shock them (this immediately stops the cooking process).