This healthy butter bean soup is the best way to celebrate seasonal produce! Fresh sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes are combined with lima beans (AKA butter beans) for a light but flavorful soup that's ready in just over 30 minutes.
This butter bean soup is a vegetable soup that can be made all year round, with fresh, frozen, or canned produce.
I'll be the first to admit that I think it's most delicious with fresh produce in the summer, but I wrote the recipe so that you can adapt it using whatever you have on hand.
This recipe is packed with protein from both butter beans and white beans. If you're confused about the difference between butter beans and lima beans, rest assured: they're the same ingredient and can be used interchangeably in this soup.
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Why this recipe works
- Year-round recipe: This is the type of recipe that can be adjusted based on the seasons. In the summer it's fantastic with fresh squash and sweet corn, while in the fall and winter months it's great with frozen or canned produce.
- Butter beans vs lima beans: This butter bean soup works with anything labeled butter beans, lima beans, or green baby limas.
- Refreshing flavors: This is definitely a cozy soup, but lemon juice adds brightness while rosemary adds a touch of herbiness.
- Dietary features: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
Ingredients
- Butter beans: Also known as lima beans, this legume is a common staple in the South, with just 1 cup providing 15 grams of protein. This recipe works with frozen or canned beans. The green beans above are baby lima beans, but any variety can be used in this soup.
- Fresh sweet corn sliced straight off the cob. You can also use frozen corn.
- Bell peppers: Choose red or orange bell pepper for a sweeter flavor or green bell pepper for a light, fresh taste.
- Zucchini and summer squash are good for more than just zucchini banana muffins and zucchini corn fritters! Feel free to use just one or both kinds of squash.
- Tomatoes: Dice a large beefsteak tomato or add sliced cherry tomatoes. A can of diced tomatoes works if you can't find a good fresh tomato.
- Green beans: Make sure to snap off the ends of these fresh, crispy green beans before adding them to the soup. Canned green beans also work.
- Baby potatoes make this soup a little heartier. Russet or Yukon gold also work.
- White beans add additional protein. Cannelini beans, Great northern beans and chickpeas are all good options, or you can just do two cans of butter beans.
- Vegetable broth is a very important part of this recipe. Choose a broth with a flavor that you love or use a homemade broth. Vegetable bouillon cubes or Better than Bouillon mixed with water also work well, just follow package instructions for the bouillon to water ratio.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Chop, chop, chop! Most of the active time is spent slicing the veggies. Slice the zucchini into half moons, cut the potatoes into 1" pieces, dice the onions, and slice the remaining veggies into 1" pieces.
Avoid finely dicing to keep the vegetables from breaking down in the soup and becoming mushy.
Step 2: Sauté onion and rosemary in olive oil until browned. Add garlic and sauté for a minute more, until browned and aromatic. Carefully remove the rosemary.
Step 3: Add all of the veggies, vegetable broth, and chopped parsley. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer over medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Step 4. Taste for salt and pepper. Garnish with additional parsley and a sprinkle of fresh parmesan.
Recipe FAQ
Eggplant, okra, and mushrooms are great additions. If using mushrooms I recommend sautéing them with the onion to enhance their flavor.
I recommend sticking with fresh rosemary for this recipe because it contributes a lot to the soup flavor. You can replace fresh parsley with 1 tablespoon dry.
I don't recommend using dry butter beans or dry lima beans as they require additional liquid and cook time to cook completely.
Top tips
- Butter beans and lima beans are actually the same ingredients and can be used interchangeably in this soup.
- Butter beans are very tender. The longer they simmer, the more they break down and soften. Be careful not to overcook the soup!
- When I first started cooking with butter beans I had a lot of trouble finding vegetarian butter beans. Make sure to check labels if you are vegetarian, as many canned butter beans contain animal products, especially in the South. Due to their increase in popularity, butter beans are now easier to find.
- Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables are all good options. If you want to make a summer vegetable soup in winter, you can save money and guarantee peak nutrition by using canned or frozen veggies.
- Frozen vegetables are picked and frozen at their peak ripeness, making them nutritionally equivalent to in-season vegetables. Canned vegetables are also nutritionally equivalent, but they are usually higher in sodium due to preserving methods.
- The white beans used in this soup can be replaced with an additional can of butter beans, if desired.
Storage tips
- Storage: For best quality, keep butter bean soup refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: I have not tried freezing this soup but will update the post if I do.
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Recipe
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Summer Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium zucchini sliced into half moons
- 1 medium summer squash sliced into half moons
- 2 ears sweet corn kernels sliced off
- ½ pound green beans ends removed
- 2 medium tomatoes (on the vine, Roma, etc.) diced; or a can of diced tomatoes
- 1 pound red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes, peeled if preferred
- 16 ounce can butter beans see note #1
- 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley plus more for topping
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus more for serving
- shredded Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and fresh rosemary sprigs. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté a minute more.
- Carefully remove rosemary sprigs. Add all vegetables: zucchini, squash, sweet corn kernels, green beans, tomatoes, lima beans, red potatoes, butter beans, and white beans. Cover in vegetable broth.
- Stir in salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. If extra liquid is needed to fully cover the vegetables, add ½ cup water at a time until the vegetables are fully submerged.
- Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, uncover and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until potato is softened, about 12-15 minutes. Be careful to keep the soup at a low simmer as butter beans are tender and break down easily.
- When the potatoes and vegetables are tender, stir in fresh lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve topped with fresh parmesan and additional fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- Butter beans: These are the same as lima beans. Choose unseasoned lima or butter beans, as seasoned beans often contain pork and additional ingredients. Frozen butter beans/lima beans also work and do not need to be thawed before adding to the soup.
- Vegetable broth is important in this recipe, so choose a broth with a flavor that you love or use a homemade broth. Vegetable bouillon cubes mixed with water will also work; just follow package instructions for the bouillon to water ratio.
- White beans: Feel free to omit the white beans and just use two cans of butter beans.
- All vegetables can be substituted with the same amount of frozen or canned. If using canned, drain extra liquid before adding to the soup.
- Leftovers: For best quality, keep refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days.
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