How-to guide
How to Make Bissara — Moroccan Dried Fava Bean Soup
Bissara is a humble, warming soup of dried split fava beans, a beloved winter breakfast and street food, especially in the north of Morocco. Beans are simmered soft with garlic and cumin, then blended into a smooth, thick purée and served in a wide bowl under a generous pool of olive oil, a dusting of paprika and cumin, and a little chilli for those who want it. Cheap, filling and nourishing, it is comfort food at its most elemental. This guide gives the classic method. Find more everyday dishes on our Moroccan dishes index.
About 1 hour
Step by step
- 1
Soak the split favas
Rinse dried split fava beans and soak them for a few hours or overnight if they still have skins; skinless split favas cook faster and blend smoother. Drain and rinse again before cooking. Good soaking shortens the cooking time and helps the beans break down to a silky texture.
- 2
Simmer with garlic
Put the drained beans in a pot with plenty of water, several whole garlic cloves, a little salt and a good pinch of cumin. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then simmer gently until the beans are completely soft and starting to fall apart, around forty-five minutes.
- 3
Season the pot
As the beans soften, stir in cumin, a little paprika and check the salt. The garlic will have mellowed into the soup. Add more hot water if it is getting too thick before the beans are fully tender; you can always reduce it again later.
- 4
Blend until smooth
Once the beans are very soft, blend the soup until completely smooth and velvety, using a stick blender in the pot or a jug blender in batches. Bissara should be thick and pourable, like a loose purée. Add hot water to reach the consistency you like.
- 5
Adjust and reheat
Return the blended soup to a gentle heat, taste and adjust the salt and cumin. It thickens as it stands, so loosen it with a little water to keep it smooth and spoonable. Warm it through without letting it catch on the bottom.
- 6
Serve with oil and spice
Ladle into wide bowls and finish each generously: a pool of good olive oil, a dusting of paprika and cumin, and a pinch of chilli for heat. Serve very hot with warm khobz for dipping. The olive oil on top is essential, not optional.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Not cooking the beans soft enough, so the soup will not blend smooth.
- Under-seasoning — bissara needs plenty of cumin, garlic and salt to sing.
- Skipping the olive oil finish, which is central to the dish.
- Letting it get too thick and gluey; keep it loose and pourable.
- Using old, stale dried beans that never soften properly.
Tips from the kitchen
- Skinless split fava beans cook faster and blend to the smoothest texture.
- A generous pool of good olive oil on top is the defining finish, so do not skimp.
- Cumin and paprika dusted over the top are traditional; add chilli for heat.
- Bissara thickens as it cools, so loosen with hot water when reheating.
- Serve with plenty of warm khobz for dunking — it is how it is eaten.
Questions
What is bissara made from?
Dried split fava beans, simmered soft with garlic, cumin and salt, then blended into a smooth, thick soup. It is finished at the table with olive oil, paprika, extra cumin and optional chilli. Some versions use dried split peas instead of or alongside the favas, but favas are the classic base.
Is bissara eaten for breakfast?
Yes, it is a popular winter breakfast and street food in Morocco, especially in the north, sold hot from stalls to warm people through cold mornings. It is also eaten as a light lunch or supper. Cheap, filling and nourishing, it is exactly the kind of humble comfort food that suits any time of day.
Why is my bissara not smooth?
The beans were probably not cooked soft enough before blending. Simmer them until they are completely tender and starting to collapse, then blend thoroughly with a stick or jug blender, adding hot water to loosen. Soaking the beans first, and using skinless split favas, both help you reach a silky texture.
What do you serve with bissara?
Warm khobz bread for dunking is the essential accompaniment, since bissara is as much for dipping as for spooning. The soup itself is finished with olive oil, cumin, paprika and chilli. That is really all it needs; it is a simple, self-contained dish rather than part of a larger spread.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.