Chilean Lima Soup

I don't know what it is about lima beans but they are awesome.  They're creamy and tasty and soak up whatever lovely sauce or broth you put them in.  I have fond childhood memories of the lima beans from Bishop's in Lowell (a Lebanese food place that is sadly no longer in business; see, I have always loved Middle Eastern food!).  They were served in a thick and flavorful tomato sauce and I have never found a recipe that matches it.  The struggle is real.

But there was no struggle with this soup.  Back to the beans: can we talk about how healthy they are, besides being so delicious?  They have fiber, protein, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium and manganese.  I don't even know what half of those things are but I know you need them.  Oh, and they can help stabilize blood sugar, which is good since the doctors all thought I had diabetes a few weeks back (I don't).

Besides the amazing lima beans, this soup has a lot going on.  It's more flavorful than you can imagine, what with dried sage, basil (both fresh and dried) parsley, rosemary, not to mention garlic and onion powder.  Besides the beans, there is corn, onion, butternut squash, and tomatoes.  Basically everything good you can imagine is there in the soup.  It was delicious the first night, and reheated very well (I would know, because I brought it to lunch at work all week long).  It made a pretty big batch.

Apparently, April 20 is Lima Bean Appreciation Day.  But I wouldn't wait that long to make this soup.  It's like 20 below zero out there tonight; it's soup weather now.

Recipe:

Chilean lima soup
from Jennifer's Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 16-ounce package frozen green baby lima beans
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon packed fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1.4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen corn

Instructions:

1) In a large soup pot, saute onion in oil over medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent.

2) Add squash and garlic and sauté for two more minutes or until garlic softens.

3) Add water, tomatoes, lima beans, and seasonings except for salt.  Cover and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

4) Stir in corn and add salt to taste.  Cook until heated through.