Succotash - Don’t You Just Love The Sound of It?

Succotash (SUHK-uh-tash) comes from the Indian word msickquatash or boiled whole kernels of corn. It is a popular US favorite especially in the southern states and consists of lima beans, corn and sometimes red peppers that have been cooked.

I found a recipe for succotash in some grocery store that I adapted for myself using ingredients I had on hand. When I looked up succotash on Google, I was blown away at how many variations there are for such a simple dish. I realized succotash can be what ever you want it to be as long as you are using corn and some sort of legume, most often lima beans.

Fresh lima beans, sometimes called butter beans, come as pods very similar to edamame (whole soy bean pods). Although not generally available with the whole pod, you may find some in a specialty store and they should be dark green and glossy.

Dried lima and frozen lima beans are readily available in most supermarkets. The dried lima beans need to be soaked and cooked before using. You can find regular frozen lima beans and baby lima beans too. I find there is nothing wrong with frozen lima beans the same as I don’t think there is anything wrong with other frozen vegetables as you as you handle them properly and don’t defrost and refreeze.

Did you know that 1 pound of dry packaged beans = 2 cups dry = 6 cups cooked beans?

And of course you will find canned lima beans that are fine for soups and stews but be careful to check the sodium levels with any canned veggie. For this recipe I found some frozen baby lima beans that were already cooked and ready to go. And I’m sure my summer succotash would have been better with fresh corn and fresh vegetables, I opted for frozen to expedite the meal. Truth is I needed to prepare something in a hurry to serve with dinner.

1 ½ cups corn
¾ cups young lima beans
4 to 6 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
1 small onion or 1 large shallot, chopped
roasted red bell pepper, chopped (I used 4 pieces of jarred peppers)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 pinch of sugar
juice from ½ of a lime
salt & pepper

How to Make Succotash at Home

Start by heating up a medium sized saucepan and heating up 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil. Add the frozen lima beans, corn, onion or shallot and garlic and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the red pepper and cook for another minute or two and remove from the heat.

Add the fresh basil, parsley, and thyme and mix together.

Season with sugar, lime juice, mix, taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Variations

There is an endless number of variations you can make for succotash. You can switch herbs, seasonings, add new veggies and create your own family version. In fact I have made this dish a couple of times now and although basically the same, it is different each time.