Bessara (Fava Bean Soup)

Bessara is the quiet classic of North African kitchens, a soup of dried fava beans simmered with garlic and whirled until silky. In Libya and Algeria it is a winter staple, served for breakfast or a quick supper with plenty of crusty bread, and vendors in North African markets sell it by the bowl, drizzled with oil and dusted with cumin. It is the kind of food that costs almost nothing and tastes like everything.

Velvet-smooth beans, garlic, and green olive oil

The soup is thick and soothing, with a nutty, earthy depth that cumin and lemon wake right up, and a generous swirl of olive oil on top is non-negotiable — it is the finishing note that makes bessara sing. Some families add a spoonful of harissa to their bowl; others keep it pure. It is a soup that respects a long, slow simmer and rewards it richly. Eat it with bread for dipping, or thin it out and drink it like a hearty broth on a cold evening.

Craving more? Explore all North African Kitchen recipes.

Stocking a Middle Eastern pantry? Our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients covers everything this dish uses.

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