There is a secret ingredient in this soup, one that was not part of the recipe at the diner and it gives it a kick without overpowering. I add Sriracha or rooster sauce to my soup, but for those that don’t like any spice or heat should leave this ingredient out.
While making this soup, I became interested in what is a lima bean, how are they grown and any other information here was about this amazing bean. One of several sources that I found information at was at Facts on Lima Beans.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound package of dried lima beans (small or large, it’s up to you)
- 4 Quarts of water (add more as needed)
- 1 ham steak, (a pound +/-), diced into small chunks the size of a pea
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- Sriracha sauce, a few squirts as desired
- *2T Chicken base, to taste (I buy this at Costco or Sams Club)
- *2T Ham base, to taste (I buy this at Smart N Final)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp granulated onion
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 medium onion, slivered
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, diced fine
- 2 large carrots, slivered (I use the ones from the $99 cent store)
- 2 large potatoes, diced (red or white, your choice, I leave the skin on)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
* Note: Begin with about 2 Tablespoons each of the chicken and ham base and when the soup is almost done, add more if you feel it needs more flavor or saltiness.
Directions:
- Put the rinsed and cleaned beans in a pot with the water, bay leaves, and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except for the potatoes and let simmer for another hour.
- Taste and adjust the flavor with the chicken and ham base being careful not to make it too salty.
- Make sure the beans are just about done and then add the potatoes and continue to simmer until they are soft.
Serving the soup – I like to serve this soup with some grated or powdered Parmesan cheese, it adds to the flavor and has a wonderful stringy and creamy texture much like French Onion Soup. All you need to go with the soup is perhaps some bread and you can use several types, for example, cornbread, homemade bread loaf, or the bread my husband enjoyed this with was pita bread. Regardless of your choice of bread, it should be topped with butter and dunking is encouraged!
Here is a link for those of you who are interested in growing your own lima beans
From my table to yours … That’s what’s cooking!
