Ham and Lima Bean Soup (Printable)

Tender ham combined with creamy lima beans and fresh vegetables, slow-cooked for rich, hearty flavor.

# Ingredient list:

→ 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

→ Optional Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

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 vegetables are softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add ham, prepared lima beans, broth, bay leaf, dried thyme, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a rolling boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lima beans are completely tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf from soup. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that improves as it sits, tasting even better the next day when the flavors have truly settled into one another.
  • One pot, minimal cleanup, and you'll have enough to feed a crowd or eat well for days without thinking about what's for dinner.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the beans overnight—I tried rushing it once with the quick-boil method and spent the extra time annoyed at beans that stayed stubbornly firm no matter what I did.
  • Keep your heat low during that final simmer; a rolling boil will break apart the beans and leave you with soup that's more texture-less mush than the creamy, whole-bean dream you're aiming for.
03 -
  • Quality ham makes a visible difference here—it's not hidden under tons of other ingredients, so treat it as a main player and choose something you'd be happy eating on its own.
  • If your soup seems thin once the beans are tender, you can mash a few of those cooked beans against the side of the pot to release their starch and naturally thicken everything, which feels like a small kitchen trick you're getting away with.
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