Fave e Chicoria | Italian Fava Bean Soup Recipe

This thick, hearty soup is a great way to enjoy the fantastic (and underappreciated) flavor of fava beans, even if you can’t find them fresh. It’s a very simple recipe made with dry fava beans, which are widely available everywhere.

For the most traditional preparation you’ll find in Puglia, the soup should be topped with sautéed chicory. You can also serve it as-is (don’t skip a drizzle of olive oil, though), or with some toasted bread.

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Fave e Cicoria Recipe

Makes: 4 servings

Cook Time: 1 to 1 ½ hours

For this recipe, you will need:

• 6 cups (1.5 liters) water, plus extra as needed
• 12 ounces (350 grams) dried fava beans
• 2 to 4 bay leaves
• Salt
• About 14 ounces (400 grams) chicory
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for topping
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
  

Add the water and the bay leaves to a medium pot. Salt the water generously and bring to a boil.

Rinse the fava beans in a strainer under running water, then add them to the boiling water. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook the beans, partially covered, until they have softened and almost dissolved completely, approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours.

If the soup thickens too much and the fava beans need more time to cook, you can always add water to extend the cooking time. The final texture should resemble a thick potato soup, slightly chunky. As the soup nears completion, taste and adjust the salt as needed.

While the beans are cooking, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large pan and add the chicory. Sauté the chicory until it becomes very tender—about 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and set the chicory aside for later.

When the fava beans are cooked, remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaves. If you’d like to make the dish extra creamy, you can use a handheld blender to blend the beans smooth. You can also stir in more warm water at this time if the final result is too thick.

Serve warm, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and some sautéed chicory. The soup will thicken when it cools, but it can be reheated on the stove and thinned with some warm water to achieve the previous consistency.

Buon appetito!