Bessara

بسارة

“The breakfast of the north — thick, earthy and alive with oil.”

Prep Overnight soak + 15 min · Cook 45 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Easy · Origin: Northern Morocco (Tangier, Tetouan)

Bessara is the working-class breakfast of northern Morocco — a thick, velvety soup of dried fava beans blended smooth, drizzled generously with olive oil, and dusted with cumin and paprika. In Tangier, Tetouan and Chefchaouen, bessara stalls open before dawn and serve steaming bowls for just a few dirhams. Eaten with fresh khobz bread, it provides more energy per centime than anything else in Morocco.

Ingredients · Serves 4

• dried split fava beans (skinless), soaked overnight300 g
• garlic5 cloves
• ground cumin1 tsp
• lemonjuice of 1
• olive oil (good quality)5 tbsp
• sweet paprika (for serving)1 tsp
• ground cumin (for serving)1 tsp
• saltto taste

The Recipe

1. 1.Drain the soaked fava beans and place in a pot with garlic and 1 litre of fresh water. Bring to a boil.
2. 2.Reduce heat and simmer for 35–40 minutes until the beans are completely soft and falling apart.
3. 3.Add the cumin and blend the soup until very smooth using an immersion blender. If too thick, add a little water — it should be the consistency of thick cream.
4. 4.Season with salt and lemon juice.
5. 5.Serve in bowls drizzled with olive oil, dusted with paprika and cumin. Serve with warm khobz.

Chef's Tips

• Use skinless split fava beans — they cook faster and blend smoother than whole beans.
• The olive oil drizzle is not optional — it is half the dish. Use your best oil.
• In Morocco, bessara is often eaten by scooping with bread, not a spoon.