Simmer butter beans with savory chopped ham for a hearty side dish.
Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried green baby lima beans*
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups roughly chopped ham
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 dried or fresh bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, combine beans and water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and let stand for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
- In same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add ham, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of ham, and let drain on paper towels.
- Add onion, celery, and garlic to pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 2 hours. Top with reserved ham.
Notes
*We used Camellia Brand Baby Lima Beans.
