This Lima Bean Soup with Brown Rice is one of my favorite soups when it comes to quick and nutritious lunches.
For me, soup is a comfort food, that comes from my childhood and cultural background. In the country where I come from, soup is normally served for lunch, almost daily. It is also believed that eating soup prevents digestion problems (e.g. constipation).
Now living in Western Europe, a bowl of warming and delicious soup is a great option when it’s cold and damp outside.
Among the rich varieties of soups, Vegetable soup is one of my favorites. Why? Because:
1) vegetable soups are cooked quickly;
2) provide plenty of health benefits;
3) help introduce more vegetables into the diet for those who do not like them;
4) there is a lot of variety. And the list can go on.
Substitutes for Lima Bean Soup
- I used leftover brown rice in this recipe. But you can replace the rice with small pasta (which would be great, especially for kids), or omit it completely. The taste will be delicious anyway.
- Play with different herbs and spices of your taste. Try to add smoked paprika for the smoky taste. Or try a Mexican spice blend, and serve the soup with tortilla chips and sour cream.
- Use olive oil or ghee instead of avocado oil. I usually cook on ghee when I cook for my 4-years old son.
- Use frozen corn instead of canned.
- I always have cooked beans in my freezer. If you don’t have cooked beans on hand, use canned beans. White cannellini beans also work well in this soup.
Storage Suggestions for Lima Bean Soup
- Store the lima bean soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I do not recommend keeping it longer than 3 days as the soup will lose its taste.
- Do not reheat the soup several times.
Check out more information in my blog post – Handy Tips for a Delicious Vegetable Soup.
Try out my other vegetable soup recipes:
Meanwhile, read about the health benefits of beans in my blog post My Top Super-foods to Consider for Your Daily Diet.
Lima Bean Soup with Brown Rice
Equipment
- 1 soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb cooked Lima beans 450 g
- 7 oz canned sweet corn 200 g
- 1 medium white onion or small leek
- 3 small potatoes
- 1 medium grated carrot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 6-7 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, onion powder
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish
- 1 jalapeño for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare your vegetables. Chop the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Shred the carrot.
- Sauté the onion, shallot and carrot for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and potatoes and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth and cook with a closed lid for 7-10minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Add broth if needed. I added after 7 minutes 1 cup more.
- When potatoes are cooked, add Lima beans, brown rice and sweet corn. Add 2-5 cups of broth (depending on how thick you want your soup to be) and herbs & spices. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Serve with jalapeño and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use olive oil or ghee instead of avocado oil. I usually cook on ghee when I cook for my 4-years old son.
- I always have cooked beans in my freezer. If you don’t have cooked beans on hand, use canned beans. White cannellini beans also work well in this soup.
- Use frozen corn instead of canned.
- If you don’t have cooked brown rice, omit this ingredient. I prepared this soup with and without it. Both variations are great. Try to add small pasta instead. It will work well. Especially for kids.
- Use Homemade Vegetable Broth instead of water.