As I've been working my way through my Rancho Gordo dried bean stash, I've finally had to confront the beans that...I don't like that much. I know, I know - who doesn't love every single costly Rancho Gordo artisanal bean that one covets for months before finally convincing yourself the price is "worth it"?
Now that we're (hopefully) past the judgment reaction, we can get to the topic of today's post - Rancho Gordo's Creamy Lima Bean, Tomato, and Feta Soup. This soup not only used up the giant lima beans that have been hardening in my cupboard, but also produced a fantastic one-post dinner as well.
I precooked 1/2 cup of dried lima beans in the Instant Pot (soaked overnight, 25 minutes high pressure with a natural release - in the future, I may increase to 30 minutes of cooking time) a day or two ahead of time, which made the soup prep just 25 minutes.
The result was comforting, rich, salty, slightly briny, and coated your mouth with a pleasing fulsome texture. I could have sworn this was a heavy cream-based soup, which is a wonderful mental trick from pureed white beans. I will keep this idea handy for thickening future soups with a healthier protein than dairy.
Some modifications I made - I used traditional feta instead of Valbreso and 1/2 of a 140z can of crushed tomatoes. I think you can experiment with cheese types here as well - other salty or flavored cheeses will probably add their own special imprint to this soup, even a sharp cheddar or herb-inflected cheese.
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