This Creamy Lima Bean Soup, from Cooking With the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta, embodies The Ranch’s food philosophy of nourishing both body and spirit through fresh, seasonal ingredients. A light and satisfying soup, it blends buttery beans, vibrant greens, and tangy yogurt into a nourishing bowl perfect for any season.

Serves 6 

Ingredients

• 1 cup small dried lima beans
• 4 cups water
• 6 cups basic vegetable stock (or water)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 medium onion, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ teaspoons olive oil
• ½ cup scallions, green parts only
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1½ cups chard, spinach, or kale, stemmed and shredded
• ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Soak the beans in the water overnight.
2. Drain beans and place in a 3-quart stockpot with stock, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and bring to a boil. Stick cloves in the onion and add to the pot and add the bay leaves. Reduce to low, cover, simmer ~1½ hours until beans are very tender.
3. Remove onion, cloves, and bay leaf. Puree half of the soup in a blender, add back to pot.
4. In a small sauté pan, heat oil over medium. Sauté scallions and garlic ~3 minutes, until softened.
5. Just before serving, add scallions, garlic, spinach, parsley, and tarragon to soup.
6. Whisk yogurt until smooth, add to soup. Season with remaining teaspoon sea salt and pepper. Heat gently, but do not boil.
7. Buen provecho!

Variations

• Puree entire soup for a pale green version.
• Top with minced chives, red pepper flakes, sunflower seeds, or toasted croutons.