By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- 5(77)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is a light, sweet onion soup to make when those big, juicy spring onions accompany fresh fava beans in the farmers’ market. You can make a quick vegetable stock with the trimmings while you’re prepping the ingredients.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1pound spring onions
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter
- 1garlic clove, minced
- 1½quarts vegetable stock or chicken stock
- A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a few dried mushrooms or mushroom stems, a Parmesan rind and a couple of sprigs each thyme and parsley, all tied into a cheesecloth bag
- ½cup barley
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1pound fava beans, shelled and skinned
- 1 to 2tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, tarragon, fresh thyme
- Rounds of baguette or slices of country bread, topped with Gruyère or Parmesan, then toasted until the cheese melts
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Quarter the onions lengthwise (stem to root end), then slice thinly across the grain.
Step
2
In a large, heavy soup pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened and begun to darken a little; do not let them brown. Add a pinch of salt, the stock and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, add the barley, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Taste and adjust salt. Add freshly ground pepper.
Step
3
Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Add the fava beans and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the herbs. Serve, topping each bowl with the cheese croutons.
Tip
- Advance preparation: The soup can be made through Step 2 several hours before serving. The barley will continue to swell, so you may want to add more stock when you serve it.
Ratings
5
out of 5
77
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Cooking Notes
Maya
I opted for a vegan version so left out the parmesan rind from the bouquet garni, which would have given off more flavor but I adjusted with a bit more salt. My only regret is having used fresh tarragon at the end. It altered the taste significantly and I would have been better off with only a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil when serving, allowing the simple flavors of the onion and fava to come through. My recommendation is to use only a teaspoon of fresh herbs and taste before adding more.
Marcella
I used almost 1 cup of farro instead of half cup of barley. It came out great and less than an hour. The fava beans were a big hit in the soup. I listened to the other review and didn't include the tarragon and thought at the most fresh parsley would do because the soup was already so delicious. Will make this again and again before the fava beans are out of season.
Kim K
Question here: This sounds delicious but wonder if I could substitute edamame beans for the favas. They are available frozen and are fresh and delicious -- easier than shelling the favas, which I do love except for the work!
EJS
I substituted leeks for the onions and also made my version vegan. I might try again given other positive reviews, but found this lacking in flavor notwithstanding use of a good vegetarian broth base.
Castle O'Neill
So delicious, made with cooked dry fava beans and forgot to add any herbs at the end, lovely early spring soup
Marcella
I used almost 1 cup of farro instead of half cup of barley. It came out great and less than an hour. The fava beans were a big hit in the soup. I listened to the other review and didn't include the tarragon and thought at the most fresh parsley would do because the soup was already so delicious. Will make this again and again before the fava beans are out of season.
franklind
Delicious - add a bit of lemon juice at the end
Maya
I opted for a vegan version so left out the parmesan rind from the bouquet garni, which would have given off more flavor but I adjusted with a bit more salt. My only regret is having used fresh tarragon at the end. It altered the taste significantly and I would have been better off with only a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil when serving, allowing the simple flavors of the onion and fava to come through. My recommendation is to use only a teaspoon of fresh herbs and taste before adding more.
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