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Tlatlapas
Tlaxcala's thick soup of toasted beans, fava and peas with chilli and nopales
In the villages of Tlaxcala, tlatlapas is the Lenten and rainy-season soup: dried beans, fava and peas are toasted on a comal, ground to a coarse flour and simmered into a thick, earthy purée seasoned with dried chilli, epazote and strips of cactus. It is a peasant dish with pre-Hispanic roots, cheap, filling and full of protein, eaten with corn tortillas and a squeeze of lime. Using split beans keeps the cooking under an hour. Chef's tip: toast the pulses until golden and nutty, not dark; burnt ones turn the whole pot bitter.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Toast 3 ½ oz dried split fava beans and 3 ½ oz dried split yellow or green peas in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until golden and smelling nutty. Let them cool, then grind to a coarse flour in a blender or spice grinder.
10 minStep 2: Toast 2 dried guajillo or ancho chillies in the same pan for 20 seconds a side until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Blend with 2 ripe tomatoes, ½ white onion and 2 garlic cloves until smooth.
10 minStep 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot and fry the chilli purée over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until it darkens and thickens.
5 minStep 4: Whisk the ground pulses into 6 ¼ cups water until smooth, then pour into the pot. Common mistake: tipping the flour straight into hot liquid; it forms lumps that never cook out.
Step 5: Add 5 ½ oz cactus paddles (nopales), 1 epazote sprig and 1 ½ tsp salt. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often so it does not catch, until thick and creamy like a lentil soup and the pulses taste soft, not gritty. Add more water if it gets too thick.
25 minStep 6: Serve hot with 4 lime wedges and 8 warm corn tortillas.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 15 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tlatlapas take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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