Go Back

Butter Bean Soup

Butter bean soup with a golden, smoky broth and creamy large butter beans, finished with wilted kale. This American-style soup is built with a quick onion-celery sauté, a short simmer, then mashed beans for body.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butter beans base
  • 3 can (15 oz) butter beans (large lima beans) Drained.
  • 4 oz ham, diced (or smoked turkey)
  • 4 cup kale Chopped.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 2 celery Diced.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 6 cup chicken or ham broth
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • olive oil For serving.
  • fresh parsley For serving.
  • salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the aromatics
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onion and celery for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
  2. Add garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant with no dark burning.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add diced tomatoes, broth, butter beans, and ham, then bring the pot to a boil.
  2. Simmer for 15 minutes, then mash about a quarter of the beans in the pot to thicken the broth for body.
  3. Add kale and simmer for 5 minutes until wilted and tender.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

For a thicker, creamier texture, mash more of the beans during the 15-minute simmer. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (reheat gently, adding a splash of broth if needed). To make it vegetarian, swap the ham for smoked turkey or omit and use vegetable broth plus smoked paprika as written.