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Easy Southern summer succotash features lima beans, corn and tomatoes — plus crumbled bacon — for a delicious classic side dish that’s great for BBQs, picnics, potlucks and summer dinners!

Guys.

I am struggling getting back into life after our seriously fabulous family vacation last week. It has been ROUGH!

I just don’t want to do it.

You know, the job. The stuff. The day-to-day life. A big ole BLAH!

Also I big ole kick in my own pants cause woe is me, right? I was fortunate enough to have an amazing opportunity to get away with my family for an incredible week of fun so there should be zero complaints.

And I am grateful. Very, very grateful. I’m just transitioning poorly back into the real world is what I mean.

But enough of that. I’ll suck it up soon enough and put my big girl pants back on.

So let’s move right along to the food…

I’ll just say right now that succotash is one of those recipes that everyone has a unique take on.

Some use hominy, some use fresh corn.

Some use lime beans, some use butter beans.

I’ve seen it made with milk or cream, had it with meats added in or vegetarian, and people will use different mixes of veggies in this dish.

This here is my version of summer succotash. And it’s easy. And I’m Southern so I get to claim that it’s officially Southern.

(It’s OK, that’s how we all work down here. 😉)

But this easy Southern summer succotash really should be your go-to recipe because it’s got ALL the classic flavors (and then some) and it’s hardly any work!

What makes this version of succotash special:

1. Bacon. Duh. The veggies get a great background of smoky flavor from cooking in the bacon grease and then you crumble the cooked, crispy bacon on top for serving. So so good!
2. Paprika. Something about having a bit of this mixed in really brings a nice warmth to the dish.
3. Apple cider vinegar. This is added near the end and helps brighten all of the veggies and make this dish seem so fresh and vibrant!

I’ve got quite a few notes for you on this recipe, but only so that you can have the option to customize it just like you want it! 👍

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on easy Southern summer succotash:

• I prefer lima beans but you can substitute butter beans if you want for this recipe. If you can get fresh lima beans from the farmer’s market, that’s great, but I’ve used frozen before and they work well too. Just be sure they’re already cooked for using in this recipe.
• Some recipes call for peppers, carrots or okra, so you could certainly add those if you want.
• I don’t think it needs it, but some people swear by adding a pat of butter at the end. Do what works for you!
• If you don’t want to use the bacon, you can skip it and use butter or oil to sauté the veggies. But the crumbled bacon tastes great on top of this and adds a great smoky flavor to the veggies as they cook in the bacon grease so I recommend you go for it!

I like this succotash best served warm but it’s also fabulous at room temperature so it’s a great dish for a party or BBQ where you can let it sit out.

I’ve even had it cold straight from the fridge. It’s so flavorful, it’s pretty forgiving 😉

It goes great with grilled chicken (you could pair it with my spicy beer marinade for chicken recipe from earlier in the week) or with some easy crunchy baked chicken or Parmesan chicken or with pork, like my herb crusted pork tenderloin or spice-rubbed pork chops.

Add some green veggies, like these oven fried garlic Parmesan green beans or blistered okra and you are set!

If you are new to succotash, I hope you’ll give it a try this summer – I think it’ll become a fast favorite!

Have a great weekend!

XO,

Kathryn

Yield: 6 servings

Easy Southern summer succotash

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Easy Southern summer succotash is a delicious classic side dish!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bacon (I use thick-cut)
• 1 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups of corn (see notes)
• 2 cups of cooked lima beans
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through and crispy, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the bacon drippings in the pan, and let sit on a paper towel until cool enough to crumble. Set aside.
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion. Saute the onion in the bacon grease over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds.
4. Add corn, lima beans and cherry tomatoes and stir to combine.
5. Add paprika and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 more minutes until the veggies are softened.
6. Stir in the apple cider vinegar and cook 1 more minute.
7. Serve succotash sprinkled with fresh basil and reserved crumbled bacon.

Notes

I prefer lima beans but you can substitute butter beans if you want for this recipe. If you can get them from the farmer’s market that’s great, but I’ve used frozen before and they work well too. Just be sure they’re already cooked for using in this recipe.

You can use fresh summer corn (you'll need about 4 medium cobs) or frozen corn, thawed.

If you don’t want to use the bacon, you can skip it and use a tablespoon or so of butter or oil to sauté the veggies.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 8mg Sodium: 185mg Carbohydrates: 35g Fiber: 8g Sugar: 8g Protein: 11g