Food Recipes Side Dishes Stewed Lima Beans with Salsa Macha 5.0 (1) 1 Review Creamy slow-simmered lima beans are finished with a crunchy, smoky salsa macha for a deeply satisfying dish that’s equally at home as a main course or a hearty side. By Omar Tate Omar Tate A chef, visual artist, and poet, Omar Tate is the co-owner of Honeysuckle in Philadelphia, where he weaves the stories of the African diaspora into inventive, deeply flavorful cooking. He first launched Honeysuckle as a neighborhood grocery and café before opening the restaurant with Cybille St. Aude-Tate in 2025. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Cybille St. Aude-Tate Cybille St. Aude-Tate A chef and former children’s book author, Cybille St. Aude-Tate is the co-owner of Honeysuckle in Philadelphia. Alongside Omar Tate, she creates an ambitious tasting menu rooted in history and community, celebrating Black producers, regional ingredients, and the joy of gathering around the table. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 15, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 40 mins Soak Time: 12 hrs Total Time: 14 hrs Servings: 4 to 6 Jump to recipe Slow simmering gives the beans an exceptionally creamy texture while allowing them to absorb the rich flavors of the aromatics and broth.The crunchy salsa macha can be made in advance, making it easy to add bold flavor and texture just before serving.This versatile dish is satisfying on its own and pairs just as well with crusty bread, rice, or grilled meats for a heartier meal. 2026 F&W Best New Chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate created this hearty bean dish with layers of rich, savory flavor. Creamy lima beans simmer in a flavorful broth enriched with chicken stock, beef tallow, garlic, onion, celery, and tomato paste, which adds subtle sweetness and umami. A spoonful of crunchy salsa macha finishes the dish with smoky dried chiles, toasted nuts and seeds, Cameroon pepper, tangy vinegar, and just a touch of sweetness, creating a vibrant contrast to the velvety beans. The Food & Wine Test Kitchen loved the balance of creamy beans and crisp, spicy salsa macha, which adds texture and complexity to every bite. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth, or finish with fresh herbs for a bright, fresh contrast. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Stir the beans occasionally during cooking, adding small splashes of water as needed to keep them just covered and cooking evenly.Once the fried chiles have cooled, they’ll become crisp enough to crumble easily by hand or with a mortar and pestle.For a lighter or vegetarian version, replace the beef tallow with olive oil or butter.Butter beans make a suitable substitute if lima beans are unavailable. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients Lima Beans 1 pound dried lima beans 3 (4-inch) thyme sprigs 1/2 cup beef tallow 6 garlic cloves, peeled 2 small (2 ounces) celery stalks, finely chopped (1 cup) 1 large (11 ounces) Spanish onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups) 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 1/4 cup tomato paste 4 cups unsalted chicken stock 2 cups water, plus more as needed 1 (1/8-ounce) dried guajillo chile 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste Black pepper to taste Salsa Macha 1/2 cup peanuts 5 tablespoons benne seeds 1 cup canola oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 dried ancho chiles (about 3/8 ounce total) 2 dried guajillo chiles (about 1/4 ounce total) 4 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 1/2 tablespoons ground Cameroon pepper 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon smoked olive oil Directions Prepare the lima beans: Place beans in a large bowl; add water to a depth of 2 inches above beans. Let stand at room temperature for 12 hours. Drain beans, and set aside. Tie together thyme sprigs using kitchen twine. Heat beef tallow in a Dutch oven over medium. Add garlic, celery, onion, and bell pepper; cook until translucent and slightly aromatic, about 7 minutes. Stir tomato paste into Dutch oven; cook, stirring often, until dark red, about 5 minutes. Add soaked lima beans, chicken stock, 2 cups water, guajillo chile, salt, black pepper, and thyme sprigs to Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cook until beans are tender, 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Cook time may vary depending on how old beans are. If beans take longer to cook, add about 1/2 cup water, as needed, to help soften.) Remove and discard thyme sprigs and guajillo chile. Season with additional salt to taste. While beans cook, prepare the salsa macha: Preheat oven to 325°F. Place peanuts and benne seeds on a baking sheet; bake in preheated oven until until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside, and let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Place canola oil, garlic cloves, and ancho and guajillo chiles in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until chiles puff up and garlic is golden, 6 to 7 minutes, turning chiles occasionally. Transfer chiles and garlic to a plate lined using paper towels; let cool until easy to handle, about 2 minutes. Set oil aside. Remove stems from chiles but not the seeds; break chiles into large pieces. Place chiles, garlic, sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse until chiles are ground into fine pieces, about 8 pulses. Add cooled peanuts and benne seeds to food processor; pulse until finely chopped but not pureed, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Stir in Cameroon pepper, sherry vinegar, smoked olive oil, and reserved chile-and-garlic-infused oil; whisk until combined. Top lima beans with salsa macha, and serve. Make ahead Salsa macha can be prepared up to two weeks in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature before serving. The cooked beans can be frozen, without the salsa macha, for up to two months; thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen. Store leftover beans and salsa macha separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.