Recipe by Bryant Terry

Succotash, a Native American dish consisting primarily of lima beans and corn, has been reinterpreted by Southern African-Americans with a number of bean, vegetable, and sometimes meat combinations. Here I remix the simplest version of this dish by making a tasty puréed soup. While you can get away with using frozen lima beans for this dish, using fresh corn is essential. So enjoy it during the summer months when corn is at its peak.

Soundtrack: “Succotash” by Herbie Hancock from Inventions & Dimensions
Serves 4

FOR THE CROUTONS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large leftover pieces of Quinoa-Corn bread or your own favorite, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

FOR THE SOUP
2 cups fresh baby lima beans, rinsed
(use frozen if fresh are unavailable)
10 cups cold water
Coarse sea salt
4 large ears yellow corn, shucked, kernels scraped, cobs cut in half and reserved
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
white pepper

MAKING THE CROUTONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic. Raise heat to medium-low; sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, toss together the cornbread and the garlic oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake, shaking the pan twice, until the croutons are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.



MAKING THE SOUP:
In a medium saucepan, combine the beans with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until beans are slightly tender. Add 1 teaspoon salt and simmer for 5 more minutes. Drain the cooking liquid into a bowl, set the beans aside, and add the liquid back to the saucepan.

To make a broth, add the corncobs to the bean liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard (and compost) the corncobs.

While broth is simmering, in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat, combine the olive oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and the onions and sweat for 15 minutes, until the onions soften. Set aside 1/3 cup of corn kernels and add the rest to the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender. Transfer the corn-onion mixture to the broth. Add the cooked beans. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 more minutes until the corn is done.

Remove from heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, transfer to an upright blender, and purée in small batches. Strain to remove tough corn skins. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, toss the reserved corn kernels with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Transfer kernels to a 9-inch pie pan or other oven-proof pan. Place the corn about 3 inches from the heat and broil until browned (but not burned), about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times with a spoon.

Warm up the soup (if necessary), ladle it into bowls, sprinkle roasted corn kernels and garlicky cornbread croutons on top, and garnish with parsley. Give thanks for Herbie Hancock and enjoy.

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