Butter Bean Soup with Ham and Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Rancho Gordo Florida Butter Beans or baby lima beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 quarts water
• Goya Ham Bouillon or Penzeys ham flavor base, to taste
• 2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
• 2 cups finely diced ham
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. If you’re using dried beans, cover them and soak for about 8 hours, then tip them into a colander, rinse them, and leave them to drain. For canned beans, empty them into a colander in the sink and rinse under cold water until the foaming stops.
2. Warm the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until they begin to soften. Stir in the thyme and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the beans to the pot, along with 2 quarts water if you started with dried beans, or 6 cups water if you’re using canned beans.
4. For dried beans, keep the pot at a gentle simmer until the beans are beginning to get tender, adding a bit more water now and then if the level drops too much. This may take an hour or more, depending on the beans. For canned beans, simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
5. When a bean tastes about 3/4 soft when you bite into it, stir in the Penzeys ham flavor base, if using, along with the finely chopped cabbage and finely diced ham.
6. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes more, or possibly a little longer with canned beans, until the beans are fully tender, the broth tastes rich, and most of the cabbage has melted into the soup.
7. Add fresh ground black pepper to taste, then serve the soup hot.