Southern Summer Succotash

This recipe’s a perfect way to celebrate summer veggies and to eat some Lima Beans, a food I know is often overlooked. This recipe is highly versatile and you can add, substitute, and tweak this sucker however you want. As usual, I’ve fused this Southern Dish with a Southwestern Splash. I also added some extra meat in the form of sliced Andouille but to truly make it Southwest, you can sub that for some lovely Spanish style Chorizo. Sufferin’ Succotash!

• 15 oz Can (16 oz Bag) Lima Beans drained

• 1/2 Vidalia Onion cut in half & separated

• 5 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

• 1 Garlic Clove whole

• 1 Cup Chicken Bouillon/Stock

• 4-5 Bacon Slices

• 5 oz (1/3 rope) Andouille Sausage sliced thinly

• 1/2 Vidalia Onion chopped

• 1 Jalapeño halved, seeded, diced

• 1/4 Red Bell Pepper chopped

• 1/4 Green Bell Pepper chopped

• 1/2 Poblano Pepper diced

• 4 oz Okra sliced

• 2 Garlic Cloves diced finely

• 15 oz Can Corn drained

• 4 oz Can Green Chiles

• 1 Pt Cherry Tomatoes halved

• 1/2 Tsp Liquid Smoke

• 2 Tbs Butter

• 1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

• 2 Tbs Green Onions chopped

• 2 Tsp Cajun Seasoning

• Tbs Fresh Thyme Leaves

• Shakes Cayenne

1. First step is to throw the drained Lima Beans, the 1/2 Sweet Onion, Thyme, whole Garlic Clove, the cup of Chicken Bouillon, and enough water to cover everything into a pot and bring it to a boil.

2. Once it’s at a boil, bring it down to simmer, cover it, and keep em simmering for about 20 minutes or so, until they’re softened.

3. Make the Bacon in a wide skillet while it’s boiling, keep the Bacon grease and set aside the cooked Bacon. Chop it once it’s cooled down.

4. In a separate smaller skillet, I cook the sliced Andouille Sausage while the Bacon’s cooking.

5. You’ll now want to drain the pot of Beans into a heat safe bowl, throw out the Onion, Garlic, and Thyme, keep bout 1/2 Cup of that liquid, and pour out the rest.

6. In that skillet with the Bacon grease, you can now throw in the Onions, Jalapeño, Bell Peppers, Poblano, & Okra and stir it all around and sauté em for about 5 minutes or so.

7. Now throw in the diced Garlic and stir some more.

8. Next up is the Corn & Green Chiles, which you can now mix into the Peppers & Onions.

9. Now throw in the Cherry Tomatoes and stir and sauté for a few more minutes.

10. It’s now time to pour in the Liquid Smoke, the Butter, Red Wine Vinegar, Green Onions, Cajun Seasoning, Thyme, Cayenne, and whatever else you’d like to season it all with.

11. If you need to, you can add that cup of reserved liquid before you throw in the chopped Bacon and the Andouille Sausage. Stir it all together, and now you’re done!