Baby lima beans & braised cabbage soup with tempeh bacon
Ingredients
- 450 ml (2 cups) dried lima beans, soaked overnight
- 750 ml (3 cups) water
- 750 ml (3 cups) homemade vegetable stock
- 1 cabbage, cut into 8 wedges and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 onion, chopped
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 full head of garlic, unpeeled and left whole
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) Jerez
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) Jerez vinegar
- 6 slices of tempeh bacon, cut into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces
- 5 ml (1 tsp) sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Soak beans in plenty of water overnight.
Put beans in a large pot with fresh water, bay leaf and garlic. Simmer for 90 minutes until bean are almost done. Remove garlic from pot and reserve for other use.
During this time, heat olive oil in a cast iron dutch oven, add tempeh bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and reserve.
Keeping the bacon oil in the pot, add onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Add cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and slightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add Jerez, Jerez vinegar and sugar and cover pot with lid. Put in a 175°C (350°F) oven and bake for 1 hour until cabbage is very tender and brown.
Add braised cabbage, stock, salt and pepper to the beans and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve soup topped with bacon.
Note :
To make a delicious spread, peel poached garlic, combine with 50 ml (3.5 tbsp) olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix in food processor until smooth. Serve on crunchy oven-toasted croutons or warm bread.
I am so excited to find your blog, because I just started one that has a lot in common with it. Mine is more like “heart healthy and demanding”! (www.whatwouldcathyeat.com)
I’m going to try a bunch of your recipes for sure.
Thanks Cathy, glad you were inspired. BTW your blog looks great!