Also know as Lima beans, butter beans are delicious when prepared right. These are not the giant, green, flavorless beans you were served in school. Lima beans have spent years being ill prepared and have dutifully taken the rap for bad chefs everywhere. That ends today, we are going to rectify the injustice right here.
The first time I was served Lima beans as an adult, they were super garlicky and almost creamy. A cute little boutique coffee shop and lunch spot had them on the menu as butter beans and I was tricked into ordering them as my side. I looked for dried butter beans in the grocery store and thought for some time what I had devoured was white navy beans. After a little research I found out the truth and I am so glad southern tradition calls them butter beans instead of Lima beans, because I never would have ordered them otherwise. That day I immediately stored them in my memory as something I would one day recreate and that day is today!
We are foregoing the tradition of using salt pork and using chicken broth instead. This is for baby after all and incorporating cured meats seems a little unnecessary. This take on the recipe I enjoyed years ago is really changed for the adaptation of making a puree that is not as salty and starchy. I have also adapted it to add a little Kiinde time to your day as we will be using the slow cooker!
1 lb Dried Baby Lima Beans
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 medium Sweet Onion finely chopped
1 box Chicken Broth
2 tbsp Earth Balance butter optional
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1- Soak the beans for 24 hours. Just overnight doesn't do it in my opinion. A whole 24 hours give the beans time to swell and separate from their shell. Every now and again stir the pot and fish out those slimy shells.
2- Once properly soaked the beans should have doubled in size and be shiny. Rinse them twice and discard any shells you missed before.
3- Chop the garlic and onion and gather the other ingredients.
4- Add the butter to the bottom of the slow cooker and dump everything else on top.
5- Add the chicken stock and set the slow cooker to 6 hours. Check back in to be sure all the water has not been absorbed but do not stir. Add 1/2 a cup of water at a time if it has all been absorbed already.
6- Once the 6 hours have passed transfer the beans to the blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
7- Transfer to your Kiinde Twist bags and freeze for up to a month.
