Instructions: 9 Minutes high pressure

Dried lima beans are a great boon to anyone on a quest for low fat creaminess. They have very thin skins that virtually dissolve in the pressure cooker, creating soup with an elegance and complex flavor that would suggest a much more labor intensive dish.

Dont consider the tomato and parsley garnishes optional. They add most welcome color and flavor to the final product. The soup has a lightness that sets it firmly in the first-course category. I like to follow it with a pasta dish.

Drain and rinse the limas, remove any loose skins and discard. Set aside.

Heat thye oil in the cooker. Cook the onion over med-high head, stirring frequently, for 1 miknute. Add the water (stand back to avoid sputtering oil), reserved limas, chervil, rosemary and sage.

Lock lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 9 minutes. Allow pressure to come fown naturally or use a quick release method. Remoive4 the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excerss steam to escape.

Stir well as you add s&p, mashing a few dozen limas againsrt the side of the cooker to create a thick creamy testure. Add vin. if desired, to bring out gflavors. Serve in individual bowls, garnisking with parsley and tomaTO.

Tipe and Techniques (also from book) Large lima beans foam considerably when cooking. Owners of jiggle-top cookers should probably avoid this recipe. If you choose to try it, add 1 more tablespoon of oil to reduce the possibiliry of a bean skin being catapulted into the vent. Dont leave the kitchen while this soup is cooking; turn off the heat and put the cooker under cold running water if you hear any unusual hissing noises.

Dont be tempted to use baby limas in this recipe. Baby limas hold on more tightly to their skins and dont result in as creamy a final product.

abbreviations. Im having editor troubless and cant see what Im typing too well.

Second, whan I make this (Ive got a jiggle top machine) I manually remove all the skins from the beans before I cook the soup. It sounds hard, but its not after a good long soaking time - they slip right off. Watch TV while you do it to make it seem quicker, though, ort something similarly brain-deadening.

Third, dont worry about the flavorings. Were lazyt and use a spice mix designed for stuffing chickens, it comes in a yellow box and I cant think of the name offhand. We dont even measure it... Lots of fresh ground pepper, too.

Fourth, dont worry if you dont have the garnishes. Theyre nice, biut you can use other things, too, like fresh red and yellow pepper diced up, or croutons, or even nothing... its your soup...

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