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Also known as butter beans across Australia, these large creamy whites have been the backbone of slow cooked family dinners for generations. Grandma always reached for dried beans when she wanted food that meant something. A pot of beans simmering on the stove is the kind of cooking that turns a weeknight into a memory.
Flavour Profile
Lima beans have a mild, buttery, faintly sweet flavour with a smooth, creamy texture that holds its shape beautifully through long cooking. Their delicate taste makes them the perfect canvas for bold Portuguese chouriço, smoky South African spices, or a simple garlic and olive oil finish. When cooked properly they turn tender without falling apart, drinking up whatever stock, tomato, or aromatic base you build around them.
How to Use It
Dried lima beans need an overnight soak in plenty of cold water, or a quick soak method where you bring them to the boil for two minutes and then rest them covered for an hour. Drain, rinse, and simmer in fresh water with a bay leaf and a splash of olive oil for around sixty to ninety minutes until tender. Add salt only at the end of cooking, as salting too early can toughen the skins. For creamier results, cook them low and slow. For salads or plated dishes where you want the bean to hold its shape, pull them from the heat as soon as they are just tender.
Recipes Where Lima Beans Shine
They are the heart of a proper Portuguese Feijão Branco com Chouriço, where smoky cured sausage and bay leaves turn a humble pot of beans into a Sunday dinner worth clearing the afternoon for. They soak up flavour beautifully in a slow braised South African Lamb and Butter Bean Potjie, the kind of cook that rewards patience with deep, wine soaked tenderness. Try them baked Greek style as Gigantes Plaki, nestled in a rich tomato and herb sauce until they turn silky and soft. They bring body and comfort to a classic Southern Succotash alongside sweet corn and smoked paprika, and they make an outstanding creamy Butter Bean and Rosemary Soup, blended with garlic and a hit of lemon for a weeknight dinner that tastes like you actually tried.
Good to Know
Naturally gluten free and a generous source of plant protein and fibre. Manufactured and packed in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans, sesame seeds, gluten and sulphites.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
