Lima bean ragout with tomatoes and thyme

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds fresh lima beans, shelled, or 2 16-ounce packages frozen unsalted lima beans, thawed (about 8 cups total)
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3. 1 tomato, peeled and seeded, then diced
4. 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
5. 3 cloves garlic, minced
6. 1 bay leaf
7. 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
8. 1/4 teaspoon salt
9. 1 cup vegetable stock or broth
10. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions

Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the lima beans and cook until just tender-crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Saute until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the cooked lima beans and simmer, uncovered, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook," published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of a James Beard award.