Recipe: Lima Beans with Yogurt (Greece)

Lima Beans with Yogurt

Koukia me Yaourti

This simple Greek recipe will delight everyone, including those who believe they don't like lima beans.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2-1/2 cups dried or fresh lima beans
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cups water
1cup high-quality full-fat plain yogurt

1. Heat the olive oil in a casserole over medium-high heat and cook the onion until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lima beans, parsley, dill, sugar, and salt. Season with pepper. Pour in the water to cover the beans. Cover the casserole, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the limas are chewable but still firm, about 2 hours for dried beans and 8 minutes for fresh beans. Uncover the casserole and continue cooking until the limas are soft and tender, about 30 minutes to 1 hour for dried beans and 10 to 12 minutes for fresh. Remove the beans and onions to a serving bowl using a slotted ladle and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. In a small skillet, stir the reserved cooking liquid with the yogurt and heat gently over low heat, making sure the liquid never comes to a boil. Pour the heated yogurt over the beans, mix gently, and serve warm, not hot.

Buy the Book!

Mediterranean Vegetables
A Cook's ABC of Vegetables and
Their Preparation in Spain, France, Italy,
Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa,
with More than 200 Authentic Recipes for the Home Cook
By Clifford A. Wright
Harvard Common Press, September 2001
Hardcover, $ 29.95
ISBN: 1-55832-196-9
Recipe reprinted by permission.