Fava bean soup - Ecuadorian locro de habas
This fava bean soup or Ecuadorian locro de habas is a hearty soup made with fava beans, potatoes, milk, eggs, cheese, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, hot pepper, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 4 cups twice peeled fresh fava beans from about 4 lbs of whole fava pods
- 2 tbs oil
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cups diced white onion about 1 whole onion
- 2 roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
- ½ tbs ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground achiote powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 3 large gold potatoes peeled and chopped in medium chunks, about 3cups
- 6 cups water or broth
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups crumbled queso fresco can substitute with feta cheese, but most supermarkets now have some type of queso fresco available
- 3 tbs finely chopped cilantro or parsley
- Salt to taste
To serve:
- Aji hot sauce
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, cook for about 5 minutes
- Add the crushed garlic, cook for another 2 minutes
- Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin, hot pepper powder or chili powder, achiote powder and salt, mix well and cook for another 3 minutes
- Add the potatoes and the water or broth, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer and add 2 cups of the twice peeled fava beans, cook until the potatoes are soft, about 25 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to soften and crumble the potato chunks.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of fava beans and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk the milk and the eggs together, stir this mixture into the soup.
- Stir in the crumbled queso fresco.
- Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro or parsley and serve warm with hot sauce and avocado.