This fava bean soup with peas and artichokes is classic peasant cuisine, of a well-off peasant who didn't have to give all to the landlord and could therefore afford to eat, but peasant nonetheless, as is shown by the preponderance of vegetables in the ingredient list. To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (300 g) fresh fava beans
- 10 ounces (250 g) freshly shelled peas (if you buy unshelled, double the weight)
- 4 artichokes
- A shallot
- 2 ounces (50 g) guanciale (cured pork jowl; use pancetta if need be)
- 4 potatoes, peeled and diced
- A small bunch of parsley, minced
- A lemon, squeezed into a bowl of water
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Hot water
Preparation:
Prepare the artichokes, trimming the tips, slivering them, and eliminating any fuzz there may be in the hearts (see instructions if need be), and put the pieces the bowl of acidulated water to keep them from discoloring.
Mince the guanciale and the shallot, and sauté them in the oil in a pot; when the shallot has become translucent and gold (don't let it brown too much), drain the artichokes and add them, together with the diced potatoes. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then add the fava beans and peas. Season the pot with salt and pepper and add hot water just to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the peas and beans are tender. Dust the soup with the parsley , cook it a minute more, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings fava bean soup with peas and artichokes.
Mince the guanciale and the shallot, and sauté them in the oil in a pot; when the shallot has become translucent and gold (don't let it brown too much), drain the artichokes and add them, together with the diced potatoes. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, then add the fava beans and peas. Season the pot with salt and pepper and add hot water just to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the peas and beans are tender. Dust the soup with the parsley , cook it a minute more, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings fava bean soup with peas and artichokes.
