Free Beans, Now What?

Are you completely done with soup weather? Did you eat so much over that long, freezing winter you will be happy if you don't see another soup until next December? If you answered yes, I don't blame you. I completely understand where you are coming from. And if I wasn't such a soup fanatic, and we still didn't have some chilly days here in northern Indiana, I would feel the exact same way. But both of those are true, so today is a soup recipe.

I guess I should be honest and say there was another reason for why this recipe came to be. My mom's friend gave me this huge bag of dried Lima beans. I can't even remember why she had them and decided she didn't want them, but her loss was my gain. I actually didn't even know what I was going to do with them when I accepted her generous offer, but I figured being beans, I could find something yummy to turn them into.

Well in my mind, beans, almost every kind, mean soup. I've made enough batches of Ham & Beans that it's just the place my head goes first. So even thought I never would have thought of putting this particular bean into a soup, I thought "how bad could it be?" So this is what I came up with. It's very similar to other bean soups I make, but this one has a little something extra with the addition of parsnip. It gives it an extra luscious texture and amazing flavor.

If you still have some chilly days in your forecast, or like me can eat soup year round, this should definitely be the next one you try. Simple and satisfying....exactly what you what in a meal!

Lima Bean Soup
1 lb. dry Lima bean
4 c. water
4 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 large parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 (32 oz.) boxes chicken broth
2 TBS butter
1 TBS corn starch
Dried Parsley

In a large stock pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add beans. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Leave covered and sit for 1-2 hours until beans are tender. Drain and rinse well. Rinse out pot. Melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, parsnip, and celery. Saute' for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add beans and saute' 2 minutes more. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove about 1 c. of liquid and mix with corn starch. Whisk well. Add back to soup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 30-45 minutes until slightly thickened. Garnish with parsley.

Shared on The Country Cook May 2, 2014

Lima Beans at Very Good Recipes