By Victoria Hart Glavin of Tiny New York Kitchen
Spring is here, but we’re still having some rather cool days. I had some leftover ham and decided to make a pot of Lima Bean & Ham Soup. I loved this soup as a child and still do.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Dry Lima Beans
- 4 Cups Water
- 2 Pounds Diced Cooked Ham
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 1/2 Cups Diced Celery
- 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Yellow Onions
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onions
- 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots1/2 Cup Diced Red Bell Peppers
- 3/4 Teaspoon Crushed Dried Thyme
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1 Bay leaf
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Bottle Beer
Rinse dried lima beans. In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine beans and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Or, if you have time, place beans in water, in Dutch oven. Cover and let soak in a cool place for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight). Drain and rinse beans. Set aside.
In same Dutch oven heat butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and red bell pepper. Cook and stir for 7 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add cooked diced ham and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, thyme, pepper, bay leaf, 4 cups water, and beer. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. Remove from heat and ladle into serving bowl. Serves 4
Note: Because ham is fairly salty I did not add salt to this recipe. If you feel that your soup needs salt then by all means add it. Word of warning, however, you should taste your soup before adding it.
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Victoria Hart Glavin has been cooking and writing recipes since she was a teenager. Originally from Nebraska, her appreciation for culinary technique took off when she moved to Lyon, France.
While living in France, Victoria studied French cooking from an expert Lyonnais chef. Victoria learned to love the local culture of preparing and enjoying fresh, seasonal foods. While in France, Victoria experienced the joys of shopping for local produce at the market and preparing fresh foods simply and beautifully in order to enhance the experience of the table. During her time in France, she says she “learned how to squeeze tomatoes at the local market” and “took everything in by osmosis.”
Currently, Victoria creates tasty treats in her tiny kitchen, in New York City, for all to enjoy and on weekends she explores Fairfield County where has a second home. Victoria has shared her recipes with others and now you can enjoy the Tiny New York Kitchen recipe collection, too! Victoria is a member of Culinary Historians of New York and a member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society.