Ham and Lima Bean (Print Version)

Tender ham and creamy lima beans cooked with vegetables for a rustic, hearty bowl.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 2 cups cooked ham, diced

→ Beans

02 - 2 cups dried lima beans, soaked overnight and drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 large onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
11 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Rinse and drain the soaked lima beans thoroughly under cold water.
02 - Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add ham, lima beans, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
05 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are completely tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf and taste soup. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like someone spent all day cooking, but really you're just letting the oven do the work.
  • Lima beans become creamy and almost buttery when they've had enough time to soften, making the broth rich without any cream.
  • Leftover ham finds its best purpose here, turning what might have been waste into the soul of an entire meal.
02 -
  • Soaking your beans overnight isn't just tradition—it cuts cooking time significantly and helps them cook more evenly, which means no hard beans hiding in your otherwise perfect soup.
  • The soup thickens as it sits, which is wonderful for leftovers but means you might want to add a splash of broth when you reheat it the next day to get back to that perfect consistency.
03 -
  • Don't skip the initial sauté of your vegetables—those first five minutes of soften and release are building the foundation that makes everything taste intentional.
  • If you're in a hurry, you can do a quick soak for your beans: cover them with boiling water, let them sit for an hour, then drain and proceed as normal.
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