This vibrant and easy Summer Succotash is the ultimate side dish for warm-weather meals! A colorful medley of sweet corn, tender lima beans, juicy cherry tomatoes, and crisp bell peppers gets tossed with fresh herbs and a splash of zesty lemon. It’s light, flavorful, and comes together in just minutes—perfect alongside grilled meats or as a stand-alone veggie star.
This blog post was created in collaboration with Hello! Home Care in recognition of Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month (June).
Hello! Home Care provides compassionate, non-medical in-home support tailored to seniors and their families. Serving Southlake, Keller, Grapevine, and surrounding areas, their dedicated team offers personalized care that prioritizes comfort, dignity, and connection.
Succotash is a fitting dish to highlight this month—it's both hydrating and nutrient-dense, featuring ingredients like corn and lima beans that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. It's a simple, wholesome recipe that supports overall wellness, especially important for aging adults.
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Ingredients:
- Vegetables: A great succotash includes sweet corn cut from the cob, tender lima beans, sweet onion, sweet cherry tomatoes, and crisp and zesty bell pepper.
- Bacon: Bacon is a great way to incorporate a ton of flavor into this summer side dish! Cook the bacon, remove it from the pan, and then toss all of the vegetables in the bacon fat for some added depth!
- Binding agents: Chicken broth is used to help bind this recipe together and add some moisture. Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice add some brightness and zing!
- Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics: Garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic provide all of the smells and tastes your heart desires as you cook this delicious dish!
Steps to Prepare:
STEP 1: Cook the bacon
In a deep pan, cook 6 pieces of bacon over medium-high heat until crisp on both sides. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet.
STEP 2: Cook the additional vegetables
Add the diced onion and bell pepper into the skillet, cooking down until slightly softened for 3 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic in and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic.
STEP 3: Add broth and beans
Add the chicken broth and lima beans, cover, and cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until the lima beans are softened and sauce has slightly reduced.
STEP 4: Add corn, spices, and finish
Stir in the fresh corn, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, optional cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or just until the corn is warmed through.
Finish the dish with halved cherry tomatoes. The residual heat from the dish will soften the cherry tomatoes and really bring out the flavor. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir in the fresh thyme, and garnish with the chopped crispy bacon.
FAQ'S:
No, absolutely not! I actually don't recommend using fresh lima beans in this recipe. It is just far too much effort for such a quick dish in my opinion.
I do enjoy using fresh corn in this recipe, as I feel the corn has a better texture than cooking from frozen corn. BUT absolutely a personal preference. You can 100% use frozen corn, just add 1 - 2 minutes to the cooking time to fully soften the frozen kernels.
Absolutely! Okra makes a great addition to traditional succotash! Okra is just not one of our family's favorite vegetables, so I tend to leave it out of my succotash. But okra is common in many traditional succotash recipes!
Succotash is an incredible prepare ahead type of dish! You can eat succotash warm or cold!
Prepare it ahead of a barbeque or cookout and enjoy it chilled or reheat in the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds stirring in between until heated through.
Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Succotash goes well with so many summer favorites! We love to serve it with grilled shrimp, air fryer trout, blackened chicken, or this delicious cedar plan salmon!
If you enjoyed this delicious summer side dish recipe, you may also like these others from the blog!
- Cajun Corn Maque Choux with Creole Shrimp
- Bacon and Cheese Twice Baked Potato Skins
- Sunshine Pasta Salad - Sweet Corn and Cucumber Pasta Salad
I hope you enjoyed this Summer Succotash recipe! If you try it, please rate it and leave a comment below! (That's so helpful for my site!) I'd love to hear about your experience making it! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@atoastedcrumb) so I can repost it to stories!
Summer Succotash
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- ½ sweet onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz frozen lima beans
- 3 cups fresh corn about 4 cobs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a deep pan, cook 6 pieces of bacon over medium-high heat until crisp on both sides. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion and bell pepper into the skillet, cooking down until slightly softened for 3 - 5 minutes. Add the garlic in and cook for 1 minute, or until aromatic.
- Add the chicken broth and lima beans, cover, and cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until the lima beans are softened and sauce has slightly reduced.
- Stir in the fresh corn, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, optional cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 - 3 minutes or just until the corn is warmed through.
- Finish the dish with halved cherry tomatoes. The residual heat from the dish will soften the cherry tomatoes and really bring out the flavor. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir in the fresh thyme, and garnish with the chopped crispy bacon.
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