Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth

Baby Lima Soup with Chipotle Broth

1 pound dried baby lima beans, picked over and rinsed
10 cups water
1 1/2 tsp garlic
2 Tbls olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced into thin crescents
1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
2 tsp fine grain sea salt
squeeze of lime juice

Pick over the beans, looking carefully for any pebbles or dirt clumps.  Rinse the beans, then combine them with the water and garlic in a heavy soup pot.  Bring the beans to an active simmer and cook for 30 - 40 minutes, until just a touch al dente and not mushy or falling apart.  Test their doneness by tasting; you really can't tell any other way.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat, add the onion, chipotles, and 2 tsp of the adobo sauce, and saute over medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the onion starts to soften.  You can always add more adobo sauce later for a spicier soup; just don't overdo it on the front end.

Add the salt and the onion-chipotle mix to the pot of beans and simmer gently for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.  The broth should be thin, so add more water if needed.  Add more salt and more adobo a bit at a time if the flavors aren't popping.  Finish with a squeeze of lime if you like. 

Serves 6.