What Are Lima beans and How Can I Use Them?

Here's everything worth knowing about lima beans and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 129 recipes to cook tonight.

What are lima beans?

Fresh Lima Beans

Availability

Baby Limas or Fordhook Limas are available all year round with a peak crop from June to September. Source in the US are New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Ohio and California.

Purchasing Guide

Choose clean, well filled, fresh dark-green pods. Usually shipped unshelled. Some markets shell and sell by weight as a service feature.

2 pounds in pods = about 2 ½ cups shelled

Storage

Shell when ready to cook. Store in the refrigerator unshelled, in a moisture proof container.

Refrigerator shelf, in pod, raw: 3 to 5 days

Refrigerator shelf, cooked and covered: 1 to 4 days

Refrigerator freezer, prepare for freezing: 1 month

Deep freezer, prepared for freezing: 10 months

Nutritive Food Values

Higher in protein than most vegetables, fair amounts of Vitamin C and A.

3 ½ ounces raw = 123 calories

1 cup, cook and drained = 190 calories

Basic Preparation

Cut thing strips from the inner edge of the pods with scissors or snap the pods open with your fingers. Remove beans.

Cook in a small amount of salted boiling water for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain, add seasonings and butter, and serve.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Lima beans are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

利马豆

British (UK) term

Lima beans

en français

haricot de Lima

en español

la haba

How much do lima beans weigh?

Related

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Recipes using lima beans

There are 129 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Aunt Em's Hearty Soup

Ground beef browns with onions, then simmers all day in the slow cooker with kidney beans, lima beans, stewed tomatoes, and creamed corn spiked with chili powder for a stick-to-your-ribs winter soup.

Spicy Winter Vegetable Chowder

A warming chowder of turnips, mushrooms, lima beans, and tomatoes seasoned with cumin, fennel seeds, and chili powder in turkey stock. Hearty cold-weather comfort in a bowl.

Favourite Three Bean Salad with Bacon

Three bean salad with bacon piles baked, lima and green beans with crispy bacon, mushrooms and peppers in a honey-Dijon lemon dressing. A hearty, make-ahead party salad that feeds a crowd.

Minnestrone Soup

Hearty ground beef minestrone soup with kidney beans, carrots, green beans, lima beans, and pasta shells in a beefy tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs.

Yummy Tuna Mounds With Curry Mushroom Sauce

Yummy tuna mounds with curry mushroom sauce shapes tuna into breadcrumb-bound baked patties surrounded by a curried cream-of-mushroom gravy. Mid-century pantry comfort with a warm spice lift.

Savory Vegetable Soup

Savory vegetable soup simmered low and slow with tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beans, corn and mushrooms in a rich bouillon broth. A fat-free, pantry-friendly pot that tastes better the next day.

Lamb Carnitas

Lamb carnitas braised in milk with coriander, savory, and bay leaves until fall-apart tender. Served in tortillas with broiled onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa.

Lima Bean, Leek & Corn Chowder

Lima bean, leek, and corn chowder simmered in homemade corn-cob stock with rosemary. Dairy-free, vegan, and deeply creamy from the beans alone.

Ham & Chicken Chowder (Crock Pot)

Chow down on this savory dish that is so easy to make, you can use your crockpot!

Marie's Baked Bean Soup

Marie's baked bean soup: three-bean slow cooker soup with bacon, stewed tomatoes, and pineapple. Sweet-savory comfort food that cooks itself in 6 hours.

Sour Butter Beans

Creamy blended butter beans meet tangy soy yogurt and fresh vegetables in this hearty vegan stew. Ready in 40 minutes, loaded with broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn.

Brunswick Stew with Corn Dumplings

An absolutely tasty dumpling stew is perfect in a cold winter day to warm up your entire family.

Lima Bean & Leek Soup

Hearty lima bean and leek soup with lentils, wild rice, and a meaty broth built from disintegrated lentils. Easily made vegan and packed with plant protein.

Bean'N' Burger Pockets

Sloppy joe meets three-bean chili, stuffed into pita pockets with melted cheddar. Ground beef simmered with tomatoes, herbs, and brown sugar for a thick, scoopable filling.

Cheesy Butter Beans.

A simple vegetarian pasta dish with butter beans (lima beans) in a light, creamy sauce. Quick, budget-friendly, and ready in 40 minutes with pantry staples.

Lima Beans Smitane

Lima beans smitane tossed with sour cream, diced pimento, chives, and garlic powder. A creamy, Eastern European-inspired side dish made from frozen limas in under 30 minutes.

Best Vegan Gumbo

Slow cooker vegan gumbo loaded with okra, lima beans, corn, and tomatoes in a clove and allspice-spiked vegetable broth. No roux, no oil, no fuss.

Chowing's Tavern Brunswick Stew

Chowning's Tavern Brunswick stew: a Colonial Williamsburg classic with stewing hen, lima beans, corn, okra, tomatoes, and potatoes slow-simmered into Southern comfort.

Mixed Bean, Tomato & Ham Soup

Mixed bean soup with kidney beans, lima beans, chickpeas, lean ham, tomatoes, and a finishing splash of lemon juice. Hearty enough for a full meal in a bowl.

Spicy Tofu Salad

Spicy tofu salad with julienned vegetables, chopped peanuts, and a chili-soy-rice vinegar dressing. Thai-inspired, loaded with crunch, and completely plant-based.

Bean Soup Ii

Lima bean soup simmered low and slow with smoky ham hocks, ham bone, celery, and green onions. Classic Southern bean soup served with Mexican cornbread.

Crunchy Beans with Turnips

Crunchy beans with turnips bakes a curried lima bean puree with steamed turnips, walnuts, and soybean sprouts. A plant-based side with Indian-inspired spice.

Lima Beans with Grilled Stuffed Vine Leaves

Lima beans with grilled stuffed grape leaves: vegetarian dolmas packed with spinach, zucchini, and summer squash, skewered and grilled, served over simmered lima beans with tomato and jalapeno.

Grilled Anchovies with Christmas Limas, Mint & Chili Oil

Grilled Anchovies with Christmas Limas, Mint & Chili Oil recipe

Cheesy Popcorn

Italian-style cheesy popcorn tossed with grated Parmesan, basil, oregano, and black pepper. A low-calorie savory snack with big flavor.

Creamed Limas & Corn Parmesan

Creamed lima beans and corn baked in a homemade white sauce with Parmesan cheese. A comforting vegetable casserole side dish that's bubbly in 30 minutes.

Chicken & Lima Bake

Chicken and lima bean casserole baked in a creamy celery soup sauce with carrots, onions, and Worcestershire. A hearty one-dish dinner with tender vegetables and golden browned chicken pieces.

Curry Soup with Beans

Curried lima bean soup with whole cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaf simmered until tender, then finished with bloomed curry powder and paprika. A hearty vegetarian bean soup.

Five-Day Beans

Five-day beans: a slow-cook project where dried limas soak, simmer with aromatics, rest, and finish under a crusty cream and breadcrumb topping. Bean heaven for patient cooks.

Lima Bean Cheese Bake

Lima bean cheese bake with cheddar, ketchup, and milk in a bubbly casserole thickened with wheat flour. A six-ingredient vegetarian baked bean dish with a cheesy top.

Loaded Vegetable, Lima Bean & Fennel Stew

Loaded Vegetable, Lima Bean and Fennel Stew recipe

Hearty Beef Summer Vegetable Soup

Hearty beef summer vegetable soup with fresh tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and cabbage. Slow-simmered soup with tender beef chunks and garden vegetables.

Chicken & Beef Burgoo

Chicken and beef burgoo, the hearty Kentucky stew that simmers two meats with corn, lima beans, potatoes, okra, and tomatoes, thickened with a bacon-drippings roux. A big-batch Southern crowd-pleaser.

Crockpot Granny Jean's Lima Bean Casserole

Make grandma proud with this simple and easy crockpot recipe that is perfect for feeding a hungry group of people.

Easy Hearty Crockpot Brunswick Stew

Easy crockpot Brunswick stew simmers chicken, ham, potatoes, lima beans, corn, and tomatoes into a hearty Southern slow cooker meal. Set-and-forget classic, feeds a crowd.

Richard Matthew's Burgoo

Kentucky-style burgoo with three meats: stewing beef, pork shoulder, and whole chicken simmered for hours with fresh corn, lima beans, tomatoes, and potatoes.

One-Dish Meal

Slow cooker one-dish meal with ground beef, bacon, smoked sausage, and four kinds of beans in a sweet-smoky ketchup and honey sauce. A hearty crowd-feeder for 10.

Baked Vegetable Gumbo Creole

Layered Creole vegetable casserole with okra, lima beans, corn, peppers, and tomato, topped with crumb-coated sautéed okra. A vegetarian gumbo-inspired bake that gets better the next day.

Pork Chops & Limas

Freezer-friendly pork chops baked with lima beans, chopped apple, cream of mushroom soup, and sage. A make-ahead casserole you assemble, freeze, and bake when ready.

Garden Bean Salad

A colorful five-bean salad with green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, wax beans, and chickpeas tossed in a tangy sweet vinegar dressing with green pepper, celery, and green onions. Best made overnight.

Another Bean Salad

Five-bean salad with green, navy, lima, garbanzo, and kidney beans tossed with bell pepper, celery, and onion in a sweet-tangy vinegar marinade. The make-ahead potluck classic, vegan friendly.

Barbecued Lima Beans

A delicious side dish made with lima beans that's perfect for that backyard barbecue.

Brunswick Stew Ii

Microwave Brunswick stew with chicken, lima beans, corn, okra, and tomatoes. A quicker take on the Southern classic that builds its own broth from scratch in about 40 minutes.

Bean Vegetable Medley

Bean and barley vegetable casserole baked until the barley turns tender and absorbs all the tomato-basil broth. Kidney beans, lima beans, and fresh veggies under melted cheddar.

Succotash with Grilled Scallops & Parsley Drizzle

Summer succotash with fresh corn, lima beans, zucchini, and grape tomatoes topped with seared sea scallops and a bright parsley drizzle. A seasonal one-pan main that eats like a cookout on a plate.

Lima Beans with Chile &Seed

Lima beans with jalapeno, sunflower seeds, tomato, onion, and fresh cilantro. A quick, low-calorie plant-based side dish with some heat and crunch.

Shabbos-Choulnt

Traditional Shabbos cholent slow-cooked overnight with meat, soup bones, potatoes, barley, beans, and onions. This classic Jewish Sabbath stew simmers 18 to 24 hours for deeply rich, tender results.

Garden Soup

Garden soup with chicken, potatoes, lima beans, carrots, and celery in a tomato-chicken broth. A hearty dump-and-simmer vegetable soup that's low calorie and feeds a crowd.

German Vegetable Soup

German vegetable soup built on a long-simmered soup bone broth with cabbage, turnip, lima beans, corn, and tomatoes, thickened with a flour-milk slurry. Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food.

Butter-Bean Spread

This butter-bean spread can be used in many ways, crackers, vegetable sandwich, other ways, always works great.

All 129 recipes