When I was a child, I used to love to slurp this soup when I ate at a Jewish delicatessen. I would always order a bowl—never a measly cup—and eat it with all of the free pickles I could get the waitress to bring. Now I make my own recipe with big, fat, creamy lima beans floating among chewy pearls of barley. Pre-soaking the lima beans in boiling water is an essential step in softening their wrinkled, tough texture.

Ingredients:

1 pound dried large lima beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into disks
3 ribs celery, diced
1/2 pound pearl barley
12 cups chicken stock, plus additional as needed
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the lima beans and 2 quarts of water in a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over high heat. Cover, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let the beans sit for an hour or two. Drain before adding to the soup. In a stockpot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add the lima beans and barley. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add the stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1 to 1^1/4 hours, or until the lima beans are thoroughly cooked, adding more stock if the soup looks dry. Add the parsley, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Makes 12 servings.