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Lima bean recipes

Creamy Lima Beans

Dried lima beans, with their abundant starch, turn rich and creamy with long cooking; this recipe calls for the smaller limas often labeled baby lima beans or butterbeans because they cook a bit more quickly, but you can also use large limas. For the latter, count on an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour of cooking time.

You'll need to soak the beans overnight. The cooked beans can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. They will thicken upon standing; if you prefer a looser consistency, thin with more water when reheating.

2 cups dried small lima beans (baby lima or butterbeans)

9 cups water, plus more as needed

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup finely chopped yellow onion (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Place the dried beans in a bowl; cover with water by 2 inches and let soak overnight.

Drain the beans and transfer to a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the 9 cups of water, the bay leaves, oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed so the mixture is bubbling steadily. The beans should become quite creamy and have begun to break down, with a thickened broth. Discard the bay leaves, and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

Serve the beans with their broth, garnished with the chopped onion and the pepper, if using.

Serves 4 to 6 (makes about 6 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 250 calories, 15 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 15 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar

From food writer Emily Horton

Creamy Lima Beans With Ancho Chile-Pepitas Pesto

This flexible dish, also built upon a pot of Creamy Lima Beans that you cook in advance (see related recipes), will provide a welcome amount of a flavorful, brick-red pesto to use in other ways, such as smearing on toast, stirring into warm grains and slathering on something off the grill.

1 recipe of Creamy Lima Beans (see related recipe)

1½ cups boiling water, plus water as needed for the beans

1 ounce dried ancho chili peppers

3 tablespoons roasted, unsalted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 cloves garlic

2 packed tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves (may substitute fresh oregano)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sherry vinegar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Warm the Creamy Lima Beans in a large pot over low heat, adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Meanwhile, discard the chilies' stems and seeds. Break up the dried peppers into large pieces and place in a medium bowl. Pour the 1 1/2 cups of boiling water over them and let sit for 20 minutes to soften.

Toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, just until fragrant. Let cool.

Smash and peel the garlic with the flat side of a chef's knife, then mince. Add the marjoram; use the knife to work in the herb and create a coarse paste.

Pulse the cooled pepitas in a food processor or grind in a blender to the consistency of a crumbly powder.

Drain the chilies, reserving ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of their soaking liquid; add both to the food processor or blender, along with the marjoram-garlic paste, oil, vinegar and salt. Process to form a thick pesto. The yield is about 1 cup. Transfer to a bowl.

To serve, ladle the warm beans into individual bowls; swirl 2 teaspoons of pesto into each portion. Pass the remaining pesto at the table.

4 to 6 servings (makes about 6 cups, plus 1 cup pesto)

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6, using ¼ cup pesto): 260 calories, 15 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 15 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar

From food writer Emily Horton

Lima Bean Soup With Chard and Harissa

This soup comes together quickly, built upon a base of long-cooked Creamy Lima Beans.

Store-bought varieties of harissa vary widely, with some incorporating the sweetness of tomato and others leaning to the more savory side. The latter are an especially good counterpoint for the sweet beans and greens used here. Harissa is a spicy North African chile paste, available at Mediterranean markets.

1 recipe of Creamy Lima Beans (see related recipe)

1 bunch chard (about 1 pound; may substitute spinach or beet greens)

1 small bunch cilantro, bottom half of stems trimmed

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons harissa paste (see note)

2/3 cup water, or more as needed

Sea salt (optional)

Warm the Creamy Lima Beans in a large pot over low heat.

Strip the stems from the chard (reserve them for another use, if desired), and cut the leaves into thin ribbons.

Coarsely chop the cilantro leaves and remaining tender stems.

Whisk together the lemon juice and harissa paste in a small bowl.

Stir the water into the cooked beans; increase the heat to medium-low. Add the chard and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the leaves are just tender. Stir in the cilantro, then remove from the heat. Add water, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency; without additional water, the consistency is that of a thick stew. Season lightly with salt, if desired.

Ladle into individual bowls and swirl 1 teaspoon of the harissa mixture into each portion. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings (about 8 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving: 270 calories, 16 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sodium, 16 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar

From food writer Emily Horton

Lima Bean Soup With Turmeric and Green Herbs

This soup takes inspiration from herby Iranian soups and pilafs, some of which feature lima beans, among other legumes. Giving the turmeric a brief turn in a hot pan before adding it to the soup brings out its warm flavor.

1 recipe of Creamy Lima Beans (see related recipe)

2/3 cup water, or more as needed

½ bunch parsley, tough stem ends discarded

½ bunch dill, tough stem ends discarded

1 bunch scallions (5 or 6 total), trimmed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, as needed (optional)

Combine the Creamy Lima Beans and water in a large pot over medium-low heat, stirring to incorporate. If the consistency seems too thick, add more water, as needed. The Creamy Lima Beans can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

Coarsely chop the parsley and its tender stems (about 2/3 cup), then the dill and its tender stems (about ½ cup), transferring them to a mixing bowl as you work.

Separate the scallion greens from the whites. Finely chop the whites. Cut the greens on the diagonal into thin slivers; add the scallion greens to the parsley-dill mixture.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, stir in the scallion whites and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, just until softened, then stir in the turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Use a flexible spatula to scrape the mixture into the pot of lima beans, stirring to incorporate.

Add the parsley-dill mixture to the beans, cook for 1 to 2 minutes until wilted and heated through. Remove from the heat, and season lightly with salt.

Ladle into individual bowls and serve with black pepper, if desired.

Serves 5 to 6 (makes about 7 cups)

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 270 calories, 15 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 15 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar

From food writer Emily Horton

Creamy Lima Beans With Ancho Chile-Pepitas Pesto. Deb Lindsey/The Washington Post
This Lima bean soup is spiked with the spicy kick of Harissa. Harissa is a spicy North African chile paste, available at Mediterranean markets. Deb Lindsey/The Washington Post
Lima Bean Soup With Turmeric and Green Herbs. This soup takes inspiration from herby Iranian soups and pilafs, some of which feature lima beans, among other legumes. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
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