Lima Beans with Ham and Collard Greens - Butter Beans with Ham and Greens

Lima Beans with Ham and Collard Greens. Butter Beans with Ham and Greens. Maybe just Beans and Greens? It's a Southern thing, and my Southern half tends to come out in my cooking whenever I think of my paternal grandmother.

When I say lima beans, or butter beans, I always mean dried baby lima beans. I like them so much better than the big lima beans or the ones that are fresh or frozen rather than dried. My Southern grandmother always cooked dried beans. She would have thought canned or frozen beans a frivolous waste of money.

I had never cooked lima beans in the slow cooker, so this was a first. When I cook Pinto Beans in the slow cooker I never presoak, but for some reason decided to do the quick presoak on the lima beans, so that’s what you’ll see in the directions.

Ham is a classic addition to lima beans; and collard greens and Cornbread are the classic accompaniments. I decided to try cooking the collard greens right in with the beans instead of as a separate side dish because it would be so much easier and faster and wouldn’t dirty another pan!

I know Mr Delightful thinks I try to use every pan, dish and utensil in the house every time I cook; but I really do try to keep it down!

If you’re new to collard greens, this is how I like to cut them: Wash them, cut out the stems, stack the leaf halves, roll them up lengthwise like a big cigar and slice the roll into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons.

What kind of soup warms you up when Soup Weather rolls in?

Lima Beans with Ham and Collard Greens

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) dried baby lima beans

1/2 pound (8 ounces/227 grams) ham, diced

3 carrots (about 7 ounces/198 grams), chopped

3 stalks celery (about 7 ounces/198 grams), chopped

1 small onion (about 4 ounces/113 grams), chopped

1 teaspoon ground dried chiles

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 quarts (about 1.5 liters) water

1 bunch (about 7 ounces/198 grams) collard greens, destemmed, rolled and sliced 1/4-inch wide strips

1 Put beans in 3-quart saucepan with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 1 hour. This is the quick soak method to replace the 12-hour “overnight” soak.

2 Drain the beans and put them in the slow cooker along ham, onion, celery, carrot, seasonings and water. Give it a stir. Make a top layer of sliced collard greens that will not be stirred in until later.

3 Cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.