Soup Swap Part 1: Fava Bean Pesto Soup with Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons

Swappers enjoying soup, bread, cheese and treats at the Brooklyn Soup Swap

This past weekend I hosted the First Annual Brooklyn Soup Swap at Rachael Mamane's loft (this is also the location of her Bonhomie Supper Club) where over 20 supers came out to enjoy a delicious afternoon of drinking wine, eating cheese, bread, crackers, cheddar jalapeno biscuits, fig treats, and devouring the main attraction: the soups. There were 7 very different soups including a chilled melon soup with a blue cheese cookie, a mushroom and barley with greens soup, a cauliflower soup with fried beetroot and chive oil, a roasted cauliflower soup with spinach and fried shallots, a vegetable coconut soup, a creamy potato and bacon soup, and a fava bean and pesto soup that I brought. By then end of the swap we were all stuffed and took home cartons of each others soup to enjoy at home. Since there are so many amazing soups, I'll be posting more pictures and the recipes from the swappers on Wednesday and Friday and my own recipe in this post.

Bread and olive oil

Delicious cheese, crackers and olives

Soup bowls for the swap

Warming up the soups

Cartons to take home the soups

A delicious soup, this one took quite a long time to prepare and cook (the fava beans took over four hours to soften) that also involved making homemade pesto and croutons then wrapping them prosciutto. Having never cooked fava beans, I found that the beans need something and that by adding pesto enhanced the flavors and really gave the soup a nice a hearty feel. The croutons themselves were  a simple cheese, basil, and olive oil mixture that was then wrapped in prosciutto (can be omitted). I hope you enjoy this one and I can't wait to share the rest of the soups from the swap. I am currently planning the next one for the end of March and thinking a soup and sandwich swap - please email at seriouslysoupy@gmail.com to be included on the list.

Fava Bean Pesto Soup with Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons

Ingredients: 
Soup:
6-8 cups of water
1 package of dry fava beans, soaked
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
6 white potatoes, 
2 chives, chopped up
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 leeks, chopped - white part only
2 celery ribs, chopped up
bunch of fresh basil
tablespoon of rosemary 
tablespoon of dill 
2-3 bay leaves 
salt 
pepper

Mashing up the homemade pesto

Homemade Pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 package of fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
drizzle of olive oil


Prosciutto Wrapped Croutons:
1 loaf of crusty bread
drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced and peeled 
1 tablespoon of dried basil 
1/2 package of prosciutto


Directions:
Soak fava beans (overnight, if possible) or until soft. Pour water into a pot and put on a medium flame. Chop up the onions and garlic and place into the pot. When the water comes to a boil add the fava beans, chives, basil, dill, bay leaves, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for two hours - checking on it periodically. Cut up the leeks, potatoes and celery and place them into the pot. Cover and prepare the pesto.

Prepare the pesto: Start by pouring the pine nuts into a bowl, along with some parmesan cheese. Chop up the garlic and basil and drizzle some olive oil - coating the nuts and basil. Place in a food processor or blender until the mixture becomes a paste. Add the pesto to the soup and stir. Cover and let cook for another hour. 


Prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut up the crusty bread into small squares on a baking tray. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, basil, garlic powder and cheese. Using a cooking brush, coat the pieces of bread. Place in the oven and cook for five minutes (or until golden brown) on each side. Turn off oven and let cool. Cut the prosciutto into small stripes and wrap around the croutons until finished. Set aside.

Check on the soup. Taste (you may need some more salt and pepper) and serve with a prosciutto wrapped crouton.

Seriously Soupy Serena