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Moroccan · Maghrebi

Bissara

Vegetarian

بيصارة · bissara

A thick, velvety purée of dried split fava beans and garlic, finished with a generous swirl of olive oil, cumin and paprika. A warming, cheap breakfast or supper in northern Morocco.

Bissara is a Moroccan soup from Morocco, ready in about 1 hour and made with fava beans (dried), garlic and olive oil. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Bissara served with olives, spices and bread
Photo: Ruby Josephine Smith / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
385

Plus overnight soaking of the beans.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Drain the soaked beans and put them in a pot with the garlic (opens in a new tab) and water. Bring to the boil and skim off the foam.

  2. Step 2

    Simmer, partly covered, until the beans collapse completely, stirring now and then.

    • 40 min
    • medium-low heat

  3. Step 3

    Blend until very smooth, adding hot water for a soup or keeping it thick for a dip. Stir in half the olive oil (opens in a new tab), 1 tsp cumin (opens in a new tab), the salt and lemon juice (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Blend hot purée in batches with the lid vented.

  4. Step 4

    Ladle into bowls and finish with the rest of the olive oil (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), paprika (opens in a new tab) and cayenne. Serve with bread.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Morocco · Commonly attributedBissara (also besarah) is eaten in Morocco and Egypt in different styles; this soupy, cumin-topped version is Moroccan.Also popular in EgyptMore food from Morocco
    Dish
    Breakfast · Dinner · Soups · Dips & spreads
    Cooking method
    Simmered, Blended
    Taste
    earthy, garlicky, creamy
    Diet
    Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
    All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
    Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Budget-friendly · One-pot · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Fava beans (dried) · Garlic · Cumin · Paprika
    Techniques
    Boiling · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification · Stock making

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
    • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
    • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    385 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 396 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 20%
    • Carbohydrate 46%
    • Fat 34%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy385 kcal97 kcal
    Protein20.1 g5.1 g
    Carbohydrate45.7 g11.5 g
    Net carbohydrate26.6 g6.7 g
    Sugars4.4 g1.1 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre19.1 g4.8 g
    Fat14.9 g3.8 g
    Saturated fat2.1 g0.5 g
    Trans fat0 g0 g
    Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
    Sodium747 mg189 mg
    Salt equivalent1.9 g0.5 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    840 mg
    Calcium
    124 mg
    Iron
    5.8 mg
    Magnesium
    155 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    17 µg
    Vitamin C
    2 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    318 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: lemon juice, cayenne / chilli powder, crusty bread / baguette.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Use good olive oil for finishing — it is as much a seasoning as the cumin.

    Common mistakes

    • Being shy with the olive oil and cumin — they are the seasoning.

    Serve with

    • Serve piping hot with bread, olives and extra oil at the table.

    Food safety

    • People with G6PD deficiency (favism) should avoid fava beans.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 4 days; it sets firm — loosen with water.

    Reheating

    • Reheat gently, whisking in hot water.

    Variations

    • With split peas: Some cooks make bissara with dried split peas instead of fava beans.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 4

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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