Organic Dill Pickles
Fava Bean Soup
The wet and rainy December and January in Los Angeles brought me back to the days when I made regular pit stops to the Edgeware Road in London for Middle Eastern food. The minute you open the door to these casual canteens, you are transported to another country. Fava beans simmering in the kitchen offer you an unmistakable, home is where the heart is-scented atmosphere. I ordered religiously: Okra and Tomatoes, Tabouleh, Foul Mudammas, and Ful Nabed (who needs the gym to work this off when you’re chasing after double decker buses and stomping up and down the stairs of the Tube all day). The Edgeware Raod is the spot if you enjoy dark and robust coffee, delicious and affordable eats, finished off with rose water-soaked baklava or delicate shortbread pastries. It may not be the most glamorous street in London, but herein lies it’s charm. A bustling, multicultural street, which at first glance seems to be the route for every metropolitan bus, is a slice of life snapshot of the city. Christ, I shouldn’t be writing for a food blog, I should be writing for “The Lonely Planet” travel guide.
Fava Bean Soup has all of the middle eastern flavor, with a California Girl’s sunshine twist of veggies. I walked through farmer’s market looking for inspiration, and I jumped on the organic purple, orange, and yellow rainbow carrots and dinosaur kale. These should be pretty easy to find, but if they’re not kicking around in your neck of the woods, go for organic curly kale and carrots, and a throw in a few purple potatoes. Enjoy.
Fava Bean Soup (Ful Nabel)
1 can of organic fava beans (canned only in sea salt and water)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups rainbow carrots, cut into thick slices
6-7 dinosaur kale leaves, cut into wide slices
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
juice of a lemon
himalayan sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a heavy-lidded pot, saute the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the cumin and cook for a minute. Add the carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the parsley and kale, stir, then cook for a minute.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock, lemon juice, and beans, then bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the beans and vegetables are tender.
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This sounds so good! I just got some Himalayan pink salt, HimalaSalt, and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I think I'll try it out in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Jessica,
Thanks for the comment and the tip: I will definitely be checking out Sustainable Sourcing
Take it easy,
Nicole