Lima Bean Soup w/ Spicy Tempura Fried Leeks

Ingredients:
4 Cloves of Garlic – Chopped
2 Celery Stalks – Diced
2 Carrots – Diced
1 Large Red Onion – Diced
1 Small Russet Potato – Peeled & Finely Diced
2 20 oz bags of Lima Beans – thawed (use fresh if you can get them)
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Cumin
1 ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
¼ cup White Wine
4 Cups Veggie Stock + 2 Cups Water

In a large pot, melt butter and 2 tbsp EVOO, sauté celery, carrots, onion, potato. Add 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, red pepper flakes and cumin. After about 5 minutes add in garlic and Dijon mustard. Sautee another 5 minutes. Add in white wine and sauté another 5 minutes. Add in 1 ¼ bag of lima beans and veggie stock and water. Season with another tbsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the lima beans become soft.

Put soup through a food mill or if you don’t have a food mill then a blender and then strain. Add soup back into pot, taste to adjust any seasonings and then add in the remaining lima beans and cook on stove until whole lima beans are warmed through.

I topped my soup with spicy tempura friend leeks but garlic croutons would be a nice touch too or just serve as is.