Caldo de habas con nopales

Caldo de habas con nopales is a traditional Mexican soup made with dried fava beans (habas secas) and cactus paddles (nopales). The dish is typically prepared by simmering soaked and peeled fava beans until tender, then adding diced nopales — previously boiled to reduce their mucilage — as well as ingredients such as onion, garlic, tomato, and chili, often in the form of a sofrito. Epazote or cilantro may be added for additional flavor, and the broth is usually seasoned with salt and occasionally lime juice.

The soup is valued for its nutritional content, combining plant-based protein from the beans with dietary fiber and vitamins from the nopales. It is commonly eaten during Lent or as an everyday meal in rural and urban households across central and southern Mexico.