My friend Sam, who is a chef I respect very much, has been on me for years to stop using canned legumes and embrace dried beans. He preached better flavor, no chemicals, more flavor control etc etc etc... Well... it turns out he's absolutely right, and I am slowly incorporating dry goods in my cooking. What follows is a method my friend Lori introduced me to by way of her Lima Bean & Sauerkraut Soup, and it has proven quite successful in other dishes as well. Enjoy!
How to cook raw lima beans:
- 8 oz dried large white lima beans - rinsed and sorted
- 1 medium carrot - rough chopped
- 1 medium celery rib - rough chopped
- 1/4 yellow onion - rough chopped
- 4 garlic cloves - smashed
- a few glugs of olive oil
- sea salt to finish
Place beans, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in a pot. Add filtered water to cover by two inches. Add olive oil. Boil for 15 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, usually 1-2 hours. Add salt to taste near the end of cooking. Pour mixture into a suitable strainer and reserve the cooking water for possible use in your main dish.
Blessed be... and happy cooking!