Recipe for Florida Butter Beans (or Lima Beans) Soup with Ham and Cabbage

Before we start talking about food, just two quick reminders about some deadlines. If you're thinking about sponsoring a prize for A Menu for Hope, I need to hear from you by early this weekend, since the campaign starts Monday, December 10, and I need some time to write up the prizes. Second, tonight at 11:59 P.M. (EST) is the deadline to nominate one of your favorite blogs for the Food Blog Awards. If you've been procrastinating on either of those, get on it!

If you're thinking this blog has turned into all soup all the time lately, a big part of the reason is that I'm still sick with a nasty little respiratory thing, and not only can I not taste that well, but nothing sounds as good as soup when I'm feeling crummy like this. (Yes, I'm finally going to the doctor tomorrow, even though I'm about 90% sure they're going to say it's a virus.) There's something special about this latest bean soup though, because I finally cooked some of the fantastic Rancho Gordo Beans I got this summer in San Francisco. The beans in this recipe are Florida Butter Beans, one of the five kinds I got to try.

Florida Butter Beans are a type of heirloom baby lima beans, also known as Calico Pole Beans. If you noticed that word heirloom in the name, that's what makes the Rancho Gordo Beans so much better than ordinary supermarket dried beans. In the same way that heirloom tomatoes are superior to regular tomatoes, all heirloom vegetables tend to be more flavorful, besides being grown in a way that continues the original characteristics of the plant. Heirloom vegetables maintain the diversity of plant life on earth, preserving it for future generations. I've been growing heirloom tomatoes for quite a few years, but this was the first time I've had heirloom dried beans, and the quality and flavor was really outstanding. I thought the people who are readers of Weekend Herb Blogging might enjoy learning about heirloom beans, so this is my entry for Simona from the charming blog Briciole.

Florida Butter Bean (or Lima Bean) Soup with Ham and Cabbage
(Makes about 6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

Ingredients:
1 lb. Rancho Gordo Florida Butter Beans (or use baby lima beans if you can't get butter beans)
1 T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 quarts water
1 T Penzeys ham flavor base (optional, but recommended)
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
2 cups finely diced ham
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Soak beans 4-8 hours, then pour into colander, rinse, and let drain. (I soaked my beans 4 hours, but next time I would soak them longer for shorter cooking time. I think the best way to cook beans is to soak them all day while you're at work, then cook at night.)

In heavy soup pot, heat olive oil, saute onion and celery 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften, then add thyme and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add beans and 2 quarts water, and cook beans at a low simmer until they are starting to soften. This could take as long as 2-3 hours, depending on how long you soaked the beans, and their age if you're using supermarket beans.

When beans feel like they are about 3/4 soft (when you bite down on one) add Penzeys ham flavor base (if using), finely chopped cabbage, and finely diced ham. Cook about 1 hour more, until beans are very soft, soup broth is very flavorful, and most of the cabbage has disintegrated into the soup. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.





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South Beach Suggestions:
Dried beans are approved for all phases of the South Beach Diet, but the serving size is limited for phase one. Since this soup has other things besides beans, you could eat a small bowl for phase one or a larger bowl for phase two or three.

More Beans Soups and Other Bloggers Write About Rancho Gordon Beans
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Anasazi Bean and Cabbage Soup
Italian Sausage and Bean Soup with Chard
White Bean Soup with Roasted Turkey Italian Sausage, Zucchini, and Basil
White Bean Hummus and Confessions of a Bean Snob from Tea and Cookies
Greek White Beans from Tea and Cookies
Marrow Beans in Garlic, Olive Oil, Lemon, and Oregano from Christine Cooks
Chocolate Calypso Beans from 101 Cookbooks
Carnitas (and beans) from David Lebovitz
Lima Beans and Bacon for Champions from Chez Pim
White Bean and Dandelion Green Salad with Preserved Lemon, Red Pepper Flake, and Shrimp from Hedonia