Broad beans are a popular summer staple here in Britain, so it’s no surprise they’ve made regular appearances in our weekly veg box from Riverford Organic Veg. I have little experience with these podded beasts, so last night I decided to take the plunge and try a broad bean soup off of the Riverford website.
The recipe appealed for both its inclusion of mint and its short list of ingredients. However, what it lacked in complication it made up for in prep time. The soup itself was a cinch, but podding the beans and then removing their tough outer skins was a beast. It’s definitely an exercise to be completed over a good podcast (or better yet, with the help of a few friends).
How to de-skin broad beans:
- Pod the beans.
- Cook them in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Plunge them into cold water, to cool them.
- Make a nick in the top of each bean, with your thumb nail.
- Gently squeeze the bright green bean out of the skin.
Fiddly, but worth it. The soup was fab, and everything (except for the mint) was made with ingredients from the box. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe, and enjoy a bit of food porn along the way…
Food and Exercise Log | Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday’s log is a bit “light” on the exercise part, thanks to a deluge of rain that made me more inclined to nap rather than walk. I hid inside for the most part, and with the exception of a couple skipping sessions in the home office, took it pretty easy.
Breakfast
Bircher Muesli with Carrot, Coconut, Pecans and Walnuts
Skipping
About 10 minutes of skipping following “The Jump Rope” FIT workout at the Monkey Bar Gym.
Lunch
Lentils and Greens with Tomato-Basil Garnish and Quinoa
The “greens and beans” are another winning combo from Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. Check out the recipe on Google Books: Beans and Greens .
Skipping
Another 10 minutes of skipping following “The Jump Rope” FIT workout at the Monkey Bar Gym.
Dinner
Broad Bean and Mint Soup with Toasted Bread and Salad
Broad Bean and Mint Soup
This recipe comes from Anna Ross’s Green Cuisine, available for purchase on Amazon and Riverford Organic Veg.
2 small onions
2 carrots
2 tbsp oil
1 litre (2 pts) vegetable stock
2 tbsp fresh mint
salt & pepper
- Peel and chop the onions and carrots and saute in hot oil for 10-15 minutes
- Stir in the broad beans and stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the chopped mint, transfer to a liquidiser and blend until smooth.
I love adding carrots into my breakfast! 😀 They’re really yummy with raisins too. I bought a good loaf of bread the other day.. so much more satisfying eating something that tastes awesome even just by itself!
@Katharina – I completely agree with the carrot/raisin combo. A nice salad is carrot, raisin, lemon juice, olive oil and a little cayenne. Even nicer is all of the above with raw kale. YUM. And I’m with you on the good bread thing – it’s essential!
We used to get a Riverford box (we just didn’t eat enough of it with two of us working full time)… I found their big cookbook really lovely too – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Riverford-Farm-Cook-Book-Recipes/dp/0007265050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248976420&sr=8-1
Is your toast in a napkin holder? That’s really cute.
The fava bean soup sounds amazing! Thanks so much for posting the recipe. It is definitely going on my short list of recipes to try.
BTW, great blog. I found you a few days ago and look forward to your updates.
@Alicia – Thanks for your comment! I just had another bowl of that mint soup and it was even better than the first time. Let me know how you like it.
BTW, I just got totally sucked into your blog – those chickpea burgers with nigella seeks look DELICIOUS. I’ve been experimenting with my own veggie burgers but my burgers always turn out mushy. Do your burgers hold together well? If so, what’s your secret?!
@Sagan – believe it or not, that “napkin holder” is actually designed for toast. 🙂 it lets you cool your toast in the open air. It avoids the whole hot-toast-on-a-cool-plate condensation effect. Nobody wants soggy toast! 😉
Monica,
The chickpea burgers with nigella seeds are good …. thanks for commenting. The secret to having them hold together is the vital wheat gluten. Even though the gluten is a small percentage of the total recipe it makes a huge difference in the final texture of the burger.
Can’t wait to try to fava bean soup. I love fava beans and mint so I am certain it will be a winner.
Alicia
Monica,
I made a variation of the soup today with lima beans. The mint and lima combination worked well. I decided to make mine raw and serve it cold. I posted the recipe if you want to take a look.
Thanks again for the inspiration.
Alicia