Butter Bean Soup with Ham and Cabbage can be made with dried or canned beans; use Lima Beans if you don’t find butter beans.
PIN Butter Bean Soup with Ham and Cabbage!
If you’re someone who might be inclined to turn up your nose at the mention of butter beans or lima beans, stay with me for a minute here. I first made this Butter Bean Soup with Ham and Cabbage with Florida Butter Beans, (a type of heirloom baby lima bean, also known as Calico Pole Beans) that I bought in San Francisco from Rancho Gordo Beans. The Florida Butter Beans are creamy and delicious, and if you can find those (or something similar) I highly recommend making this soup starting with dried beans that you’ve soaked overnight.
But when I decided this recipe *must* have an updated photo, I decided to try it with canned butter beans from the supermarket, and I was happily surprised at how good it was that way too. If you still can’t wrap your mind around the idea of butter beans or lima beans, try the soup with a different type of white bean!
I first made this soup when I had a bad cold that hung on for weeks and I needed some comfort food. But it was just as delicious when I made it again recently on one of those cold winter days where nothing sounds as appealing as soup simmering on the stove!
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How to Make Butter Bean Soup with Ham and Cabbage:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- If you’re lucky enough to have some dried Florida Butter Beans or another type of dried butter bean or large white bean, soak them at least 8 hours, then drain the beans.
- If you have canned butter beans, drain them into a colander and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears.
- Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot and saute the onion and celery a few minutes; then add the Dried Thyme (affiliate link) and cook a couple of minutes more.
- Add the beans and 2 quarts water (for dried beans ) or 6 cups water (for canned beans.)
- For dried beans, simmer on low until the beans are tender, probably an hour or more.
- For canned beans, simmer about 20 minutes. (Add more water as needed while the beans are cooking.)
- While the beans cook, finely chop the cabbage.
- I started with this boneless ham steak from Costco for the ham. Cut up enough ham to make about 2 cups of diced ham. (Depending on how flavorful your ham is, you may want to add a little ham bouillon to the soup when you add the ham. Goya Ham Bouillon (affiliate link) is my favorite brand, but there are other good brands.)
- When the dried beans are nearly soft, add the ham and cabbage and cook about 30 minutes more at a low simmer (or maybe a little longer for dried beans), until the beans are quite soft and the cabbage is completely soft and almost dissolving into the soup.
- And here’s how my soup looked after it had simmered more and was ready to eat.
More Recipes Using Butter Beans or Large White Beans:
Ottolenghi’s Fried Beans with Sorrel, Feta, and Sumac ~ David Lebovitz
Spanish Chicken Baked with Butter Beans, Chorizo, and Olives ~ Cook Sister
Southern Butter Beans ~ Never Enough Thyme
Florida Butter Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon ~ The Kitchn
Butter Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Feta, and Basil Vinaigrette – Kalyn’s Kitchen
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried butter beans (see notes)
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 quarts water
- Goya Ham Bouillon, to taste (optional, but recommended)
- 2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
- 2 cups finely diced ham (see notes)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak dried beans for about 8 hours, then pour into colander, rinse, and let drain. (I think the best way to cook beans is to soak them all day while you’re at work, then cook at night.)
- For canned beans, drain them into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water (until you don’t see any more foam.)
- In heavy soup pot, heat olive oil, saute onion and celery 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften, then add thyme and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add beans and 2 quarts water (for dried beans) or 6 cups water (for canned beans).
- Cook dried beans at a low simmer until they are starting to soften, adding a little more water occasionally if needed. (This could take an hour or more, depending on how fresh the beans are.)
- Cook canned beans about 20 minutes at a low simmer.
- When beans feel like they are about 3/4 soft (when you bite down on one) add ham flavor base (affiliate link) if using, finely chopped cabbage, and finely diced ham.
- Cook about 30 minutes more (or maybe a little longer for canned beans), until beans are very soft, soup broth is very flavorful, and most of the cabbage has disintegrated into the soup.
- Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
Notes
Use Rancho Gordo Florida Butter Beans, other dried butter beans, or baby lima beans to make this soup. Or use three or four 15-oz. cans of butter beans if you can’t find dried beans. If you have a ham bone or some pieces of rind, by all means use them and remove when you serve the soup.
This recipe was created by Kalyn when she had Rancho Gordo Florida Butter Beans.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 272Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 485mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 12gSugar: 7gProtein: 21g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Dried beans are approved for all phases of the South Beach Diet, but the serving size is limited for phase one. Since this soup has other things besides beans, you could eat a small bowl for phase one or a larger bowl for phase two or three. Soup with beans like this is too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more tasty soups like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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