I’ve loved beans all of my life. I remember as a small girl in the Dominican Republic, I’d ask my mother to serve them in a small bowl for me. Instead of pouring them over white rice which is la costumbre. I remember enjoying the beans and the broth. Dipping my tostones (I used to call them fritos because saying tostones made me giggle, the double entendre was too much for my young self.) in the broth for them to soak up and become nice and mushy. I grew up eating beans and I will always love beans.
I’ve written many bean forward recipes on this very blog. Almond Green Beans with Lemon Zest and Cotija Cheese. Lemon-Lime Guajillo Pepper Marinated Beans. White Bean Crostini with Mint-Cilantro Vinaigrette. You can see more bean recipes here.
Today I am bringing you another bean recipe. Lemon Guajillo Lima Beans.
- 1 lb Lima beans (soaked overnight)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 large onion, cut in half
- 1 large dried Guajillo chile
- 2 dried chiles de árbol
- 2 tablespoons of dried oregano
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 4-5 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 2.5 quarts of water
Method
In a large pot heat up the olive oil at medium heat. With a long pair of thongs place the lemon halves in the oli, along with the onion. Let them sear. After 5 minutes check the onion and ensure they are browning. Add the dried chiles and let them fry in the oil. Don’t let the chiles smoke. Add the oregano and flip the onion and lemon. Add the salt. After 2-3 minutes add the beans followed by the 2.5 quarts of water. Mix everything up gently, taste and adjust for salt. Once it comes to a boil reduce to a very low heat. Let the beans simmer at a low heat. Let the beans cook low and slow for about 2-3 hours.
I love making beans on a Sunday so I can eat them throughout the week.
For example, today I boiled some ring pasta and just mixed them up with the brothy beans. I heated up the beans in a pan and tossed the pasta in when they still nededed like 5 minutes to go. The rings soaked up all the flavor of the broth and finished cooking while the beans were reheated to the core. They were glorious! I would have grated some cheese over it but I was soo ready to just dig in my beany spaghetti-os.
