Is there anything better than ham stock? It is a favorite around here. My friends and family always give me the leftover ham bone for my freezer because they love it so much. Sometimes I throw a ham bone in when I’m making chicken stock. Just when I thought homemade chicken stock was a secret weapon, I found a way to elevate that when cleaning out my freezer. In this soup, I used a chicken stock and then threw in the ham bone. We have the lima beans frozen— I buy them in bulk from the bean man at the farmers market and load the freezer, then clean out the refrigerator — onions, Tuscan kale, cabbage & an oversized sweet potato. Feel free to use any greens that you find — they are all wonderful in the soup. The best part? I always have lots to give away. It’s warm & welcoming, and just the thing to combat the winter/spring chill. It’s a ready-made dinner, so just add crusty bread and you’re set.
Lima Bean, Kale and Ham Soup
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion, cut in a small dice
- 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 lb. bag of frozen Lima Beans*
- 4 quarts of Chicken Stock
- 1 Ham Bone
- 1 Bay Leaf
- A pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1 Cabbage Wedge ⅓ of a Cabbage
- 1 large bunch of Tuscan Kale or Spinach, chopped
- 1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped
- Salt and Pepper to your taste.
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil to a shimmer.
- Sautée the onions until translucent about 5-10 minutes, do not allow them to color. Add the frozen lima beans and the ham bone, then pour in the stock. Set over medium heat until it comes to a slow boil and lower the heat until the liquid is barely simmering. Skim off any foam as needed. Add the bay leaf and hot pepper flakes (if using).
- When the beans are tender, add the hot pepper flakes, cabbage, kale and sweet potato. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasoning, and add salt, pepper and additional hot pepper flakes if using. Remove the bay leaf and serve warm.
- The soup can be cooled to room temperature and refrigerated for 3 days before serving. It can be frozen up to 3 months.
Kale and ham sounds so delicious and perfect for this colder weather. I love lima beans so they are the “icing on the cake” for me.
This sounds like a hearty and nutritious soup! Perfect for a cool autumn night.
I don’t eat ham but I love kale and think this soup would also be delicious either vegan or dairy with cheese.