Simple and nutritious, longevity lima bean soup, made from simple and accessible ingredients. Perfect for fall and winter days. With a delicious combination of fresh and dried Mediterranean seasoning, you should really give this recipe a try!
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In Greece, lima beans are mostly baked in the oven, but this recipe is a delicious, filling and nutritious soup inspired by the Icarian diet. Icaria (also spelled Ikaria) is a tiny island in the eastern Aegean Sea.
It is known as the blue zone island, due to the high rates of longevity of its inhabitants. Ikaria is one of the regions of the world where people live way longer than the average and enjoy an overall better health until late age. Ikaria’s cuisine is simple, and mainly based on the consumption of beans, legumes and greens, cereals, organic garden veggies, wild fish and local olive oil.
This lemon and lima beans soup incorporates the Ikarian diet principles in a simple, easy to make and mouthwatering way! We love to eat this soup, especially in late fall and winter, when we want to warm up. We are sure that, just like us, you will like the addition of fresh and dried herbs that create a typical Mediterranean flavor.
What Makes This Recipe Worth Trying Today:
- Plenty of fresh herbs and greens like parsley and celery
- Delicious Mediterranean seasoning, like mint and oregano
- Rustic and comforting
- Simple and easy to make
- Filling, hearty and soul-warming
- Leftovers can be used to make another tasty recipe (We will come back to this one later)
- Accessible and affordable ingredients
- Packed with good-for-you longevity nutrients
What Will You Need:
- 250 gr lima beans soaked overnight
- 2 liters water
- 1/2 a red onion cut into wedges
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp salt
- 7 tbsp olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
- a pinch of ground black pepper
How to Make Blue Zones Lemon and Mint Lima Beans Soup
1.Pour 5 tbsp olive oil into a large pot
2.Add the onion and sauté for 1 minute over medium heat
3.Add 1 diced carrot and 2 diced celery sticks
4.Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time
5.Add the soaked and drained lima beans
6.Add 2 liters of water
7. Now add 2 tbsp chopped parsley
8. Continue with 1 tsp dried mint and 1 tsp dried oregano
9.Add 2 laurel (bay) leaves
10.Add 1 tbsp of salt
11.Reduce the heat to low
12.Cover the pan and cook for 60-90 minutes depending on the beans
13.Serve and sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley
14.Sprinkle with some fresh olive oil, some fresh lemon juice and a pinch of ground black pepper
Icarian Diet Soup Recipe: Lemon and Lima Beans Soup
Serving and Storing
Serve while still hot and sprinkle with some fresh olive oil. If you prefer a spicier taste, you can add 1 chili pepper during cooking (it works great especially on cold winter days, guaranteed to warm you up from within). This lima bean soup tastes great with any type of rusks, that you can even crumble straight into your plate, as well as with a slice of freshly baked bread. You can refrigerate the soup for 2-3 days, freeze and store it in a freezer for up to 2 weeks, or even better use the leftovers to make this delicious HUMMUS RECIPE.
And VOILA! Your flavorful, blue zone Lemon and Lima Beans Soup is ready!
ENJOY!
Other Delicious & Easy Recipes You Might Like:
Lima Beans & Spinach Skillet- Easy Ikarian Diet Dinner
Greek Lentil Stew- Fakes Recipe | Humble Home Cooking
Greek Chickpea Soup-Revithosoupa Recipe | Blue Zone Inspired
Blue Zones Salad- The Ultimate Cabbage Salad Recipe
Blue Zones Breakfast-Healthy Sweet Breakfast Recipe
Greek Bread with Oregano Olive Oil and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Anchovy Pasta from Greece | Easy Leftover Pasta Recipe
Greek- Style Oven Baked Anchovies| Gavros Ladorigani
Lemon & Mint Lima Beans Soup | BLUE ZONES RECIPES
Ingredients
- 250 gr lima beans soaked overnight
- 2 liters water
- 1/2 a red onion cut into wedges
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp salt
- 7 tbsp olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 laurel leaves (bay leaves)
- a pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- pour 5 tbsp olive oil into a large pot
- add the onion and sauté for 1 minute over medium heat
- add 1 diced carrot
- add 2 diced celery sticks
- sauté for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time
- add the soaked and drained beans
- add 2 liters of water
- add 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- add 1 tsp dried mint
- add 1 tsp dried oregano
- add 2 laurel (bay) leaves
- add 1 tbsp of salt
- switch the heat to low
- cover the pan and cook for 60-90 minutes depending on the beans
- serve and sprinkle with the remaining chopped parsley
- sprinkle with some fresh olive oil
- sprinkle with some fresh lemon juice
- sprinkle with a pinch of ground black pepper
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