Sweet Potato Soup with Hominy & Lima Bean

Succotash is one of the great American staples. It originated as an inexpensive, energizing meal during the Great Depression, then traversed history to land itself as a classic southern American side dish. It often leaves us foodies yearning to explore and create new versions of this classic favorite. And we did just that! With distinctive ingredients bolstering a slew of health benefits, this cozy Sweet Potato Soup is also entirely plant-based and gluten-free! You really can’t beat this easy autumn meal to cure cravings and get a big serving of veggies during the fall months.

While succotash is generally presented as a hodgepodge of its wonderful ingredients, this soup condenses all of the spices and warmth into a decadent broth. The remaining stars of the dish include hominy, Lima beans, and sautéed greens that are nestled on top for a wonderful, chilly weather presentation.

If you’re not familiar with hominy, you’re in for a real treat! It’s made from corn kernels that have been treated with an alkali and has a nice earthy flavor that adds a beautiful depth to dishes. You can get it canned, or make it from scratch.

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Sweet Potato Soup Recipe Tips

Using an immersion blender makes this recipe soup-er ;) simple. If you don’t have one, you can use a food processor or blender, but be sure you allow the soup to cool a bit first.
You can top with any of your favorite leafy greens. We chose rainbow chard, but you could also use spinach, kale, or mustard greens!

Sweet Potato Soup with Hominy & Lima Bean Recipe

what you'll need

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
6 oz rainbow chard, sliced thin (or greens of your choice)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
10 chives, minced
10 oz lima beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz hominy, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, x 3
6 cups water

let's do it

Peel and chop all veggies and herbs.
Once the thyme, rosemary, and chives are finely minced we can mix them together in a small bowl. This mixture will be used three times throughout the cooking process and will be the base flavoring agent for our recipe.
Take the first tablespoon of E.V.O.O., the diced onion, celery, and carrot and sauté them in a large sauce pan for five to ten minutes on medium high heat. Make sure to stir the veggies quite frequently to avoid any coloration while cooking.
Once the onions have turned translucent and the sautéed vegetables are omitting a strong odor, add the garlic and 1/3 of the herb mixture, sauté for another two minutes.
Add the water, give the pot a stir to unstick any vegetables from the bottom of the pan, and then add the sweet potatoes.
Bring the sauce pot of vegetables to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and allow to simmer uncovered for twenty minutes.
At this point, our sweet potatoes should be soft and ready to purée. Either use an immersion blender straight in the pot, or use a food processor / blender. If using a food processor or blender, be sure to let the mixture cool a bit. Then add the mixture in batches and purée until you achieve a smooth consistency. Each time pour the purée into a large mixing bowl.
Once all of the batches are puréed, add our salt and pepper to the purée. Go ahead and taste it and make adjustments to the seasoning as you like it, there’s no right or wrong way here as long as it tastes good to you and your guests. Set the purée aside as we get the rest of our ingredients ready.
In two small skillets, add the remaining tablespoons of E.V.O.O., one in each respectively. In one skillet, add the rainbow shard, and in the other add the lima bean and hominy.
The rainbow chard will cook very quickly and we want to retain as much of its bright green and yellow color as possible. Once it sizzles, let it sauté for thirty seconds to a minute, then remove it from the heat and reserve.
In the second skillet, add 1/3 of the herb mixture and allow the vegetables to sauté for five minutes on medium high heat, stirring them occasionally. A little browning on the vegetables is okay here, these will act as a garnish on our finished soup and look nice with a little char. Once they are cooked to your liking, set them aside and begin plating the soup.
In a small bowl, slowly pour the purée until it leaves just half an inch of space from the top. Set a few of the sautéed greens in the center, and the lima beans and hominy can rest on top of them. Then take the final 1/3 of the herb mixture and sprinkle over the top of the soup to add the final touch of flavor and a bright green sparkle over your smooth orange soup. Then, you're ready to enjoy!