Fasolatha (Lima Bean Soup)

Serves 6

Wash and pick over beans. Put in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to boil, and simmer until skins soften and wrinkle, about 45 minutes. Drain and add hot water.

• 1 pound dried lima beans
• 3 quarts, plus 3 c. hot water

Add vegetables. Simmer over medium fire, partly covered for 45 minutes, or until the beans are almost tender and the soup starts to thicken.

• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, including tops, coarsely chopped

Add the oil and season and cook for another 45 minutes, until the beans are fully cooked and soup has thickened.

• 1/2 c. pure olive oil
• salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• fresh lemon juice to taste

Serve hot or warm, spinkled with a little lemon juice.

Variation: This was delicious with fresh limas. I used only about 1 lb. of fresh limas. I did not discard the initial cooking water, and used less oil since there were fewer beans. The beans didn't get soft enough to thicken the soup, so I used an immersion blender just a little to thicken. Total cooking time was about 2 hours.

Based on recipe in Sofi's Aegean Kitchen