Ham Lima Bean Comfort Soup (Printable)

Tender ham and creamy lima beans blend with vegetables for a hearty, rustic comfort dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Rinse and drain the soaked lima beans thoroughly.
02 - Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add ham, lima beans, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
05 - Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lima beans are tender.
06 - Remove bay leaf from pot. Taste soup and adjust salt as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The ham brings this deep, salty richness that makes every spoonful taste like comfort wrapped in a bowl.
  • Lima beans become impossibly creamy and tender when they have time to become part of something bigger than themselves.
  • It fills your whole kitchen with the kind of smell that makes people ask what you're cooking before they even walk in the door.
02 -
  • Never skip soaking the beans overnight—it's not fussy, it's actually what makes them cook evenly and become creamy instead of splitting and falling apart.
  • The secret no one tells you is that this soup tastes noticeably better on day two, so make it with the confidence that you're investing in tomorrow's meal too.
03 -
  • Dice your ham slightly larger than your other vegetables—it needs to stay distinct and recognizable so people know where that delicious flavor is coming from.
  • If your beans seem to still have a slight firmness at the 1 hour 15 minute mark, give them another 15 minutes rather than rushing—they're worth the wait.
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