Ham Lima Bean Soup (Printer View)

Hearty blend of ham, lima beans, and vegetables simmered slowly for rich, comforting flavor.

# 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

# Method:

01 - Rinse and drain the soaked lima beans thoroughly.
02 - Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add 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.
05 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Taste soup and adjust salt 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 even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep when life gets hectic.
  • Those creamy lima beans become almost buttery as they soften, turning a simple broth into something unexpectedly luxurious.
  • One pot, minimal fussing, and you've got dinner for a small crowd without feeling like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the beans overnight—I once rushed and used unsoaked lima beans, and they stayed grainy and took an extra forty minutes to soften, teaching me that shortcuts here aren't actually shortcuts.
  • The moment the beans become tender is the moment to stop cooking; if you keep going, they'll start falling apart and turning your soup into something closer to a purée than a proper broth.
03 -
  • If your beans still seem tough after an hour of simmering, don't panic—just add another fifteen or twenty minutes; tough beans won't suddenly soften if you rush them, but they will if you give them patience.
  • The secret that makes this taste restaurant-quality is finishing it with fresh parsley and a small pinch of fleur de sel on top of each bowl instead of stirring salt into the pot—that final contrast of brightness matters more than you'd think.
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