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The Bissara is dried crushed fava beans. It is peeled and cooked in water with some vegetables, spices, and olive oil. It is served hot with barley or wheat bread, at lunch, dinner, and for breakfast, in some regions.
If you are having a case of the winter blues, you will love this soup!
What is Bisara?
The name “Bissara” is derived from “bees-oro” which means cooked beans. It’s a traditional North-African dish that is usually made with dried fava beans and/or split peas.
There are many varieties of it. For instance, Egyptian Bissara includes leafy greens such as spinach and fresh herbs like mint and dill.
Bissara Recipe
The first thing to know is that you can make Bissara with either dried fava beans or dried split peas (yellow or green) or a combination of both. You don’t have to soak your beans, but they will cook faster if you do.
If you want to cook them faster, you can do so by using an Instant pot or any other kind of pressure cooker you like. There are 2 main steps to this recipe.
The first step: Bring to a boil your peas/beans in a large pot of water. Add your garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, turmeric and cumin. Lower the heat and cook until your beans get very soft. This should take about 30 to 35 minutes.
Second step: Let your soup cool down, and blend it. You can use an immersion blender or a regular one. If you find that your soup is too thick then add a little more water to it, if not, enjoy as is.
As far as garnish goes, I like to garnish my soup with some flaky salt, hot cayenne, cumin and a drizzle of olive oil. And of course some crispy bread.
Be Sure to Try These Other Authentic Moroccan Dishes!
Moroccan Bissara Recipe | Fava Bean and Split Peas Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry fava beans
- 1 cup dry split peas
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add your dry fava beans and split peas to a large pot. Add 4 to 6 cups of water or just add enough to completely submerge your beans/peas. Place your pot on your stove at medium-high heat and add cumin, paprika, turmeric powder, salt and olive oil. Using the palm of your hand, crush your garlic cloves, peel and add them to the pot.
- Bring your pot to a boil, cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Let cook for 30-35 minutes. Once your beans are broken down turn the heat off and let your pot cool down for about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until you get a smooth texture.
- To garnish, add a drizzle of olive oil, some cumin and some hot cayenne powder if you're feeling bold. Serve with a slice of bread and enjoy!
