Lima and Navy Bean and Ham Soup

SUBMITTED BY: Marilyn G. PHOTO BY: MROZINSKI

"This is my creation of a Lima/Navy bean soup. After years of practice and trying many variations, I like this one the best. It's a dinner by itself and so good."

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 8 to 10 servings

USMETRIC

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INGREDIENTS

3 (3.5 ounce) links Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large meaty ham bone or 4 smoked ham hocks
16 ounces dry lima beans
1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
6 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon powder
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

READ REVIEWS (32)

DIRECTIONS

In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage; drain off fat. Add ham bone (or ham hocks), lima beans, navy beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, chives, basil, green onion, thyme, mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and chicken base or bouillon.
Add the can of beer and water to cover all. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 4 or 5 hours, and the ham has been released from the bone. Refrigerate overnight to let the fat to come to the surface of the soup.
When ready to serve, skim fat, remove ham bone (or hocks), pick off remaining ham from bone and put into soup. Discard bones and bay leaves. Heat soup until warm. Serve and enjoy!

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2006 by CURTISLEE

I received a honey-sliced ham for a Christmas gift, using the bone for this recipe. I also diced a cup or more of extra ham to add to the soup. This is a terrifically hearty soup, with a wonderfully complex flavor. I thought so many ingredients might be gratuitous, but the flavor was so good, I'd be afraid to leave anything out when I prepare it again. Yes, with so many ingredients, you will be in the kitchen for awhile. And the beans do take a long time to cook. Still, it's all worth it when your family keeps going back for seconds and thirds. As another reviewer mentioned, I found myself adding water as the soup continued to thicken. To retain the flavor, in adding so much water, I also added another teaspoon of chicken bouillon. Adding water did not hurt the flavor. My grocer did not have fresh chives, so I used dried. That's the only substitution I made. Don't think twice about making this one! Just do it!

7 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Feb. 15, 2004 by CYCLECAT

I hate to be the lone dissenter, but I thought this was only okay, and some of the ingredients (which might make the recipe look intimidating to some) were completely unneccesary and actually detracted from the soup's flavor, specifically the sausage and the fresh herbs. In the interest of economy, I recommend using whatever herbs you have on hand that are in the recipe (only less if dried). If I made this again, I would omit the sausage, too, and add either ham flavoring or extra ham because my family likes the flavor.

7 users found this review helpful

Reviewed on Dec. 14, 2003 by FLORAMICH

You CANNOT mess up this recipe! First soup from scratch I ever made, and I was snowed in, so I didn't have several of the ingredients. I substituted cooked fresh tomato and extra paste for the canned tomatoes, lentils for the lima beans, extra white onion for the green onions and chives, and all dried spices instead of fresh. Still phenomenal!

7 users found this review helpful

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