B’Sarra: Moroccan breakfast soup
Truth be told, I’m not the best cook – it’s not that I can’t cook, but I don’t have a ton of time and when I do, my counter space doesn’t really allow for a vast display of ingredients and offers nothing in terms of mixing space, meaning I get frustrated easily and revert to something that is either simple to make or prep for an entire afternoon of prepping, slicing, dicing, cutting and – most annoyingly – cleaning.
Thus, when I was recently flipping through The World’s Best Street Food by Lonely Planet, a birthday gift from a very dear friend of mine, I was delighted to come across this recipe for B’Sarra, a simple, yet mouth-watering Moroccan breakfast soup. How I missed this while actually touring around Morocco escapes me – it’s quite possible that I literally (or il-literally) couldn’t read the signs. Now that I’ve found it though, it’s become my go-to back up for a last minute meal. My husband loves it and it only requires a handful of ingredients. Here’s how to prepare B’Sarra, enjoyed for breakfast by Moroccans but satisfying enough to fill your soup bowl any time of day…
Ingredients:
4 Cups of water
8 Garlic gloves, crushed
1 Cup or can of Fava Beans (broad beans). If you have bought them dried, soak them overnight.
Pinch of cumin
Pinch of paprika
Olive oil
Serve with hearty bread to wipe your bowl clean.
*some recipes for B’Sarra call for white beans or split peas, so go nuts and explore which beans work for you.
How to cook B’Sarra:
Bring water to a boil. Add beans and garlic and let simmer for 30 minutes. Blend mixture in a blender or food processor. Serve warm, top with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a pinch of cumin and paprika… and enjoy!
جيد الشهية … Bon Appetit!
neat photos!
Thanks so much! The top one is from Marrakesh – such a beautiful city!
That does sound like a quick soup! I think the hardest part of that recipe would be finding a good hearty bread to wipe your bowl clean. I definitely need to explore Moroccan or Indian cuisine more often – I love cumin and paprika and have them in my cabinet, but never know what to cook with them!
Cumin and paprika really make the difference hear – and the olive oil! Don’t skip the olive oil! Homemade bread works really well with this, if you have a bread-maker, I’d definitely give that a try! Enjoy!
That’s such a simple dish! I usually favor sweeter breakfasts, but my guy is the exact opposite. He loves garlic so much too that he’d probably eat the entire recipe himself! (And I love the photo at the top of your post!)
Thanks so much! That photo was taken in Marrakesh – it was so beautiful and the food was to die for! If your husband loves garlic, he’ll LOVE this! I’m more of a savoury for dinner kinda gal like you, which makes this perfect for a quick lunch or dinner! Have a good one!
Oh my, that sounds lovely! I really enjoy traveling, but I haven’t made it to that area of the globe yet. Maybe someday… I like your idea of turning it into lunch. That way we could both enjoy it at the same time!
This sounds really delicious, but maybe for lunch, not breakfast. 🙂