• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Mamá Maggie's Kitchen
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beef
    • Breakfast
    • Chicken
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Vegetarian
    • Healthy
    • Mexican
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Learn
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • Courses
    • Tamales
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Courses
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Courses
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Sopa de Habas + VIDEO

    Sopa de Habas + VIDEO

    Last Updated January 5, 2023. Originally Posted October 18, 2018 By Maggie Unzueta

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, is a thick, creamy, and tasty dish. A big bowl of this yummy soup will warm you up any day of the week.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A bowl of Mexican Lima Bean Soup, or Sopa de Habas, surrounded by sliced jalapenos and bolillo on a wooden surface.
    Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, is a healthy and tasty dish. A bowl of this Mexican food favorite is the perfect meal for chilly days. Check out the video or the step-by-step photos to make this classic recipe at home. By Mama Maggie's Kitchen

    Bowl of Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, surrounded by bolillo and slices of jalapenos.

    Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, is thick and creamy. 

    This soup is usually made during Lent next to Capirotada and Sopa de Lentejas.

    Lent is when Catholics do not eat a lot of meat, but it’s good all year long.

    Quick to make, healthy, and freezes extremely well. Just add tortillas and enjoy!

    Dried lima beans on a wooden surface.

    Lima beans are dried and need to be sorted. If you see any that are broken or don’t look good, throw them away. They get voted off your cooking island!

    Lima Beans soaking in water in a metal container.

    Do you need to soak lima beans before cooking?

    If they are dried lima beans, yes, they need to soaked. At least 8 hours. Overnight is best.

    Fresh beans, you just need to pop them out of the pod, rinse, and cook.

    Lima Beans that have been soaking in water, plump and in a metal container.

    • Drain the water.
    • Reserve the lima beans.

    Look at how plump the lima beans are! They’re so cute. You could just pinch ’em!

    Note for Gardeners: Some people save the water and give it to their thirsty plants. There are nutrients in the water, but I drain it just in case there is any dirt.

    Lima beans in a colander draining the water.

    • Then rinse them.
    • And rinse them again.

    Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Beans grow underground and sometimes carry dirt.

    Are lima beans good for you?

    Yes! They are loaded with nutrients. Folate, B Vitamin, and it helps produce red blood cells.

    A stock pot with lima beans filled with water.

    • Put the beans in a large stock pot.
    • Cover them with water.

    These babies like to swim. You might need more water depending on if you soaked them overnight or not.

    If you did not soak them overnight, they might need more water. Add 2 extra cups of water.

    A stock pot with a lid on the stove cooking.

    • Cook for 40 minutes to an hour.
    • Test them after 40 minutes to see if they need more water or more time.

    It can take up to an hour to cook.

    If they are crunchy or hard at all, they need more time. More time for these lime – a – beans.

    Another vegetarian soup try this tasty White Bean and Kale Soup. 

    Cutting board with diced tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, and onion.

    In the meantime, chop the tomatoes, dice the jalapeño, dice the onion, and finely mince the garlic.

    Get to it! Chop! Chop!

    Hand holding a bottle of olive oil with a black stove in the background.

    • In a small skillet, add olive oil.
    • Heat for 1 minute.

    You can also use grapeseed oil or avocado oil.

    A skillet with cooked tomatoes and onions and a wooden spoon on the side.

    • Add the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic.
    • Cook for 1 minute.
    • Add 1 cup of water to the skillet.

    This savory and rich tomato sauce will help thicken the soup.

    Use your spatula to scrape the sides and the bottom of the pan. There are bits that get stuck, and they’re delicious. 

    Chicken bouillon cube on a wooden surface with a cutting board in the distance.

    This recipe is totally vegan up to this point. If you don’t want to use chicken bouillon, you can use salt instead or vegetable bouillon.

    There were times in Mexico when meat is hard to find. For that reason, there are many, many vegetarian Mexican recipes.

    A pot of lima bean soup on the stove.

    • Add the tomato mixture to the cooked lima beans.
    • Let the tomato mixture and the lima beans cook for 20 minutes.

    Before adding the tomato mixture, test the lima beans. Are they mushy? If so, then you’re good to go. You want the flavors to really absorb.

    If you did not soak overnight, you will need to cook for 30 minutes instead.

    You Might Also Like These Mexican Soups:
    Caldo de Camarón
    Caldo de Pollo
    Caldo de Verduras

    A bowl of Mexican Lima Bean Soup, or Sopa de Habas, surrounded by sliced jalapenos and bolillo on a wooden surface.

    Storing Instructions

    In the fridge, the soup will last up to 5 days. In the freezer, up to 5 months in a sealable bag with the air removed.

    Sopa de Habas warms your soul and takes away the chill of any fall or winter day. Delicious, nutritious, but not fictitious. This is the real deal for any meal. Hope you enjoy!

    Hungry for More?

    Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter for my latest recipes and videos.

    Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
     

    Bowl of Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, surrounded by bolillo and slices of jalapenos.

    Sopa de Habas + VIDEO

    Sopa de Habas, or Mexican Lima Bean Soup, is a thick, creamy, and tasty dish. A big bowl of this yummy soup will warm you up any day of the week.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Recipes
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 9 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 325kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • 1 16-ounce Lima Beans package
    • 12 cups water divided
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tomatoes diced
    • ¼ onion diced
    • 1 garlic clove finely minced
    • 1 jalapeño finely diced
    • 1 cube chicken bouillon (or 1 tbsp salt)

    Instructions

    • Rinse the lima beans. 
    • In a large container, add the lima beans and cover with water. 
    • About 4 cups water. 
    • Let sit overnight. Or minimum 8 hours.
    • Drain and rinse the lima beans again. 
    • Place the lima beans in a large stock pot. 
    • Add 7 cups of water. 
    • Cover and cook for 40-60 minutes, or until the lima beans are tender. 
    • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet. 
    • Add the tomato, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the skillet. 
    • Cook for 3-5 minutes. 
    • Add 1 cup of water to the skillet. 
    • Gently scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the bits of tomato. 
    • Check the lima beans. 
    • If the lima beans are mushy, you’re ready for the next step. 
    • Add the tomato mixture and chicken bouillon to the lima beans pot. 
    • Stir and cover. 
    • Cook for 20 minutes. 
    • Serve and enjoy! 

    Video

    Notes

    If they were not soaked overnight, they might need longer to cook. Up to an hour. 
    Vegan option: Swap the chicken bouillon and 1 cup of water for 1 cup of vegetable broth.
    To Make This a Heartier Dish: Add vegetables like green beans, squash, carrots. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1120mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2200IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

    Filed Under: Mexican, Recipes, Soups, Vegetarian

    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paola arenas

      October 20, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      Those are the best soup to make it at home!!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        October 23, 2018 at 11:57 am

        Yes! I agree. Love soup season. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Charlie

      October 23, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      This looks really good to me. I cook lima bean soup every now and then and I really like it. I will make this version and let you know how I like it. I like dried lima beans, the white ones, but not so much the green ones frozen or canned. I like my lima beans very soft, not crunchy. Maybe that is why I like the dried beans. With most frozen vegetables you can pop them into boiling water for a few minutes and they are done, but with limas I find I have to let them cook a while to try to get them soft. Good looking recipe.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        December 11, 2018 at 3:00 pm

        With frozen peas and carrots in your Sopa de Habas. That sounds really good.

        Reply
    3. Garlic Girl

      June 11, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      Made tonight for dinner. Delicious and comforting.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        June 22, 2020 at 10:50 am

        That makes me so happy to hear. This is delicious!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Maggie
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • PR/ Advertise
    • Email maggie @ mamamaggieskitchen.com