Dill and Lima Bean Rice

Don't be scared.  If I said butter bean instead, would that make you feel better?  Ok.  Dill and Butter Bean Rice just for you. 

One of the things I love about Chicago's culinary landscape is that it's so diverse and there is always something different and inspirational to try.

Several of the Middle Eastern restaurants in Chicago offer dill rice with lima beans - a combination I never would have tried had it not been served on the side of my hummus and beef kabobs.  It's so delicious it's usually the first thing I eat when our Baba Pita delivery order arrives.




Dill adds this bright, gardeny taste to the rice and the lima beans add this amazing texture.  My version was very creamy and almost risotto like, but the kind we get from the restaurant is very light and airy.  Even though it came out different texturally, I really loved this.  In fact, I have another bowl sitting right next to me as I type so I don't chow down on my screen.

Sup.

The ingredients are pretty straight forward:

Rice

Low Sodium Chicken Stock

Lima Beans

Garlic

Fresh Dill 

Unsalted Butter 

I grabbed lima beans from the produce section.  They are partially cooked so that cuts a lot of time out of the process.  

Just don't worry about me spilling chicken stock all over the board.  Nothing to see here.

Melt the butter in a skillet (that has a lid) and add your garlic.  I like using a large sautee pan so I have a little more room to work the ingredients together.  Stir the garlic around for 30 seconds or so to infuse the butter.  You want to do this over low-medium heat so you don't get any color on the garlic.

Add the lima beans and stir it into the flavah. Flavaaaa Flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaav.  Sorry.

Add a whole mess of dill.  I removed the dill leaves from the stems and just gave it a rough chop.

Add the rice and stir to incorporate.

Add the chicken stock and resist the urge to squeeze in and take a bath.

Bring the chicken stock to a rapid boil and then turn the heat down to a low simmer and cover.  I checked mine at 10 minutes, but it took a bit longer - around 13 minutes or so for the rice to be tender and for all of the moisture to be absorbed.

Yes ma'am.

Serve it as a side or a comforting but light dinner dish.

Comfort food at its finest.

This was so good - try it the next time you want to spruce up your rice!  Stay hungry! 

Dill and Lima Bean Rice Recipe

1 Cup White Rice

2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock

1 Cup Lima Beans, partially cooked

1 Clove Garlic, chopped

3/4 Cup Fresh Dill, chopped

3 Tbs Unsalted Butter 

Melt butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and stir to incorporate.  Add lima beans, dill and rice and stir.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a low simmer and cover.  Cook rice to your packages instructions.  My rice cooked for about 13 minutes total.  Enjoy! 

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