Dad's Lima Bean Soup with Ham Bone Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone with some meat
• 8 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 (16 ounce) package dried lima beans
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• pound diced cooked ham
• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions

1. Combine the ham bone and 8 cups of water in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the remaining meat falls off the bone, about 2 hours. Remove and discard the bone, using a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a bowl.
2. While the ham is simmering, place the lima beans in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let the beans stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans before using them.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Add the cooked ham from the bone, lima beans, and diced ham to the skillet. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer, adding more water as needed, until the soup thickens to your desired consistency, about 90 minutes.
5. Stir in the carrots, salt, pepper, and parsley. Continue simmering the soup until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Recipe Tips

• If you don't have a ham bone, you can substitute it with pound of bacon or salt pork. To use, add the bacon or salt pork to the pan over medium heat and cook for a few minutes before adding the onions and celery. Cook until the onions are translucent and the bacon is cooked, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• You can skip step 2 by soaking the lima beans overnight. Simply place the beans in a large , cover with several inches of cool water, and let them soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 296
• Total Fat: 8g (10% Daily Value)
• Saturated Fat: 2g (11% Daily Value)
• Cholesterol: 16mg (5% Daily Value)
• Sodium: 710mg (31% Daily Value)
• Total Carbohydrates: 41g (15% Daily Value)
• Dietary Fiber: 12g (43% Daily Value)
• Total Sugars: 7g
• Protein: 18g (36% Daily Value)
• Vitamin C: 14mg (15% Daily Value)
• Calcium: 78mg (6% Daily Value)
• Iron: 5mg (26% Daily Value)
• Potassium: 1231mg (26% Daily Value)