Best Southern Plantation Lima Beans Recipes

SOUTHERN STYLE BABY LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• In a large pot, slightly saute bacon about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
• Cook for 30 minutes, stirring periodically. If needed add water. You do not need a lot of liquid, but you don't want them to burn. So add if necessary. Season with salt if desired.
• Cook for another 30 minutes until buttery tender and enjoy.

SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS WITH HAM

Steps:

• Rinse and sort the beans. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the rinsed beans, ham hock, bay leaf, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat slightly just so that it's at a low boil, and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce heat again just so that the liquid is simmering. Cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until beans are tender. Check the beans after 1 hour, because they may be soft enough at that point if you like your beans a bit more firm. If you prefer the beans really soft and broken down, you may prefer to extend the cooking time to 2 hours. While the beans are cooking, check to occasionally make sure that the beans are covered with water (adding more water, if necessary). Discard bay leaf, remove ham hock from the pot, and shred or chop the meat. Return chopped meat to the pot with the beans. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish individual servings with hot sauce and herbs; serve with cornbread.

DAD'S LIMA BEAN SOUP WITH HAM BONE

Steps:

• Place beans in a large pot; cover with 2 inches water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinse. Transfer beans to another container.
• Combine ham bone and 8 cups water in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until remaining meat falls off the bone, about 2 hours. Remove and discard bone. Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to a bowl.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add cooked ham bone meat, lima beans, and diced ham. Reduce heat and simmer, adding additional water as needed, until soup is thickened to desired consistency, about 90 minutes.
• Stir carrots, salt, pepper, and parsley into the soup. Let simmer until carrots are soft, about 30 minutes more.

SOUTHERN PLANTATION LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• Sift through the beans for “Foreign Bodies” and rinse.
• In a stock pot, cover the beans with 2 inches of water and soak for 4-5 hours.
• Chop the baked ham rind to about 1/4 inch squares.
• If you use bacon, cook it off about three quarters of the way to render out some of the fat and drain well before chopping.
• (Reserve the fat for the roux later, at your option!) Drain the soaking water, add the meat to the beans and cover with water by about 2 inches.
• Bring the beans to a slow boil, add the Liquid Smoke, salt and pepper, cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer until tender.
• (From 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the beans and the heat so check them often.) When the beans are nearly tender, in a small sauce pan, mix the flour and oil (you can use the leftover bacon fat) and heat, mixing until bubbling.
• Because of the variable of how much water is left in the beans, I’ve found it’s better to thicken the sauce backwards.
• Start spooning bean water into the roux to thicken it to a paste (like thin mashed potatoes) then adding the paste back into the beans a tablespoon at a time, and stirring to the desired thickness.
• Keep in mind it won’t fully thicken until it comes to a boil and it may take a few tries to get it how you want it.
• Serve in a large bowl topped with the chopped Pecans.
• Any leftovers will freeze.

BABY LIMA BEANS (BUTTERBEANS)

Steps:

• Shell the beans and wash thoroughly. Put 2 cups water and the salt in a medium saucepan and add the beans. Cook the beans until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the liquid and add the butter. Sprinkle lightly with the black pepper before serving.

SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS WITH RICE

Steps:

• I know the bag says to soak the beans overnight, but you really don't have to.
• Wash the beans, and then put them in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for 1 hour.
• After the beans have sat, drain the water and sit the beans to the side.
• Add the oil to the pot and sauté the ham hocks and onions together, until onion is clear and tender, add garlic and sauté about 2 minutes more. Add the beans and cover with water.
• Add pepper and salt--only about 1 teaspoon of salt at first.
• Bring to a boil; stir, reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
• Keep checking the water level and stirring every once in a while. Add more water if needed, but not too much.
• Just enough to keep about 1 inch of water above the beans as they cook.
• Cook until beans are tender, adding more salt if needed. The water will turn into a wonderful gravy. Serve over rice.