I created this dish following a particularly inspirational visit to the farmers’ market, one of those visits where every vegetable looks like something holy and you want to take home every variety laid out in front of you. Think of this soup as more of a philosophy than a recipe. Use the very best, freshest, tiniest baby spring vegetables you can find, either following the guidelines here or substituting whatever looks best in the market, then accent their sweetness with just a hint of mint, lemon verbena, or cicely. If you do use favas in the recipe, be sure to follow the directions here for removing their skins; using the traditional blanching method will result in overcooked beans. The Cincinnati radish makes the soup a very pale, pretty pink that looks gorgeous served in shallow white bowls. Because this is such an easy soup to make, I also like to serve it in demitasse cups or small mugs as a walk-around first course for a relaxed spring get-together.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
To remove the skins from the fava beans, place them in a bowl, then fill it with very hot tap water. Allow the beans to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. To check if they are ready, try to pinch the skin off a test bean. When the skins slip off readily, remove them from all the favas, drain, and set aside.
Step 2
Trim, scrub, and thinly slice the carrots and radishes.Thinly slice the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, favas, and peas and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just enough for the onion to soften; the favas and peas should be bright. Season with salt. Add the carrots, radishes, water, and mint. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for no more than 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning, then serve in shallow bowls or small mugs or cups, drizzled with olive oil.
