Southern Succotash

About This Recipe

Succotash is a true American original, a vegetable medley of sweet corn and lima beans whose name comes from the Narragansett word msickquatash. The Southern style brightens the classic with bacon, fresh tomatoes, and a finish of butter, transforming humble pantry vegetables into a colorful, savory side. Crisp bacon lends smoky depth, the corn brings sweetness, and the limas add creaminess, while tomatoes and herbs keep it fresh. At its best with peak-summer produce, it also works beautifully with frozen corn and beans year-round. Quick to cook and endlessly flexible, succotash is comfort food with deep roots in Indigenous and Southern cooking. Adding the tomatoes late keeps them from breaking down into mush.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 4 slicesbacon(diced)
• 3 cupscorn kernels(fresh or frozen)
• 2 cupslima beans(fresh or frozen)
• 1 smallonion(diced)
• 1red bell pepper(diced)
• 2tomatoes(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspbutter
• 0.25 cupfresh basil(chopped)
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 0.25 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the bacon

   In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon 6-7 minutes until crisp. Remove the bacon, leaving about a tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pan for flavor.

2. 2

   Soften the aromatics

   Add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon fat and cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

   The bacon fat carries smoky flavor through the whole dish.

3. 3

   Add corn and limas

   Stir in the corn and lima beans and cook 6-8 minutes until the beans are tender and the corn is heated through and lightly caramelized at the edges.

4. 4

   Add the tomatoes

   Fold in the diced tomatoes and cook just 2-3 minutes until warmed but still holding their shape. Adding them late keeps the succotash from turning watery and mushy.

   Use ripe summer tomatoes for the best flavor.

5. 5

   Finish with butter

   Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it melts and coats the vegetables in a glossy sheen. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. 6

   Garnish and serve

   Fold in the fresh basil and the reserved crisp bacon. Serve warm as a side to fried chicken, grilled fish, or barbecue.

Variations

• •

  Make it vegetarian by using olive oil and smoked paprika instead of bacon.

• •

  Add okra and a pinch of cayenne for a Cajun-leaning version.

• •

  Stir in cream or a splash of buttermilk for a richer, creamier succotash.

• •

  Toss in fresh shrimp or edamame for a heartier, protein-rich dish.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a little butter. Succotash can be frozen for up to 3 months, though the tomatoes soften on thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions