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high protein meals lime bean stew

High-Protein Lima Bean Stew (Great for Meal Prep)

This hearty and flavorful lima bean stew is a high-protein, low-calorie meal that’s perfect for meal prep. Made with baby lima beans, lean pork tenderloin, and smoky sausage, it’s a satisfying dish that keeps well for days and tastes even better the next day. Perfect for busy weeks when you want something filling and nutritious on hand.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8
Course: dinner, lunch, meal prep
Cuisine: Polish
Calories: 423

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package 500 g dry baby lima beans
  • 5 quarts water or as needed during cooking
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 5 allspice berries
  • 1 –2 tbsp 4 g salt (to taste)
  • 1 tsp 1 g black pepper
  • 2 tbsp 2 g marjoram, divided
  • 1 package 12 oz / 330 g andouille sausage or smoked turkey sausage
  • 4 slices bacon 50 g
  • 1 lb 450 g pork tenderloin, cubed
  • 30 oz 840 g canned San Marzano peeled tomatoes
  • 1 large onion 12 oz / 330 g, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled

Method
 

Soak the Beans
  1. Rinse and soak baby lima beans in water for 1 hour. Drain and add them to a large pot with bay leaves, allspice, salt, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30–45 minutes, until just shy of soft.
Prep Aromatics & Meats
  1. While beans simmer, chop the onion, peel garlic, dice sausage, slice bacon, and cube pork tenderloin. Set everything aside.
Cook Bacon & Sausage
  1. In a large skillet, render bacon gently. Before it crisps, add sausage and cook together until browned and fat is rendered. Remove from pan.
Sauté Onion & Tomatoes
  1. Using the rendered fat, sauté onions until soft and golden (10 minutes). Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and reduce to concentrate flavor.
Combine With Beans
  1. Add tomato mixture into the beans. Add 1 tbsp marjoram. Let simmer.
Sear Pork Tenderloin
  1. Reheat pan, add cubed pork, and sear one side without stirring. Season with salt, pepper, and marjoram. Once browned, add to stew.
Final Simmer
  1. Add sausage and bacon back to the pot. Simmer everything together for 30–45 more minutes, until beans are creamy and flavors have melded.

Notes

Serve hot with rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty rustic bread. Perfect for batch cooking and refrigerates well for up to a week.