Habas con Chorizo
(Spanish fava beans simmered with spicy sausage)
Image by Wikimedia: Avicentegil
Simple and straightforward, this dish of fresh fava beans simmered with chorizo makes a whole meal if you pair it with a few slices of crusty bread. Try substituting serrano ham for the chorizo, or experiment with different seasonings according to what you have on hand.
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- Olive oil -- 1/4 cup
- Red onion, finely chopped -- 1
- Garlic, minced -- 2 or 3 cloves
- Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds -- 1/2 pound
- Fresh fava beans, shelled and skinned -- 1 pound
- Water, stock or white wine -- 1 cup
- Tomato sauce -- 1/2 cup
- Oregano -- 1 tablespoon
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high flame. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the sausage and saute for 3 or 4 minutes to lightly brown it. Then stir in the fava beans and cook, stirring to heat through, for another 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add the water, stock or wine, tomato sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning and serve with crusty bread.
Habas con Chorizo Variations
- Habas con Jamón (Favas with ham): Substitute the chorizo with chopped serrano ham or prosciutto.
- Instead of the olive oil, saute 1/4 pound of chopped salt pork or bacon until it renders its fat. Then saute the onions, etc. in the pork fat.
- Try other seasonings instead of oregano like chopped parsley or mint, smoked paprika or some fennel seed.
- Eliminate the tomato sauce if you prefer.
- At the very end of cooking, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or sherry vinegar.
