An easy recipe for the most delicious and creamy butter beans! The beans are simply flavored with garlic and dried herbs, but they pack so much flavor.
Butter beans (also called lima beans) are utterly delicious in simple recipes like this Greek gigantes plaki. The creamy butter bean recipe I am sharing here is probably even simpler but just as delicious. So delicious, in fact, that you might be scooping the beans out of the pot with your fingers to eat them. Just sayin'.
These butter beans work beautifully as a side to nearly any entree, or they can do heavy duty as a main dish on their own, with a side of crusty bread. Try 'em and be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Table of Contents
Why you will love these butter beans
- Creamy and savory. The butter beans cook up perfectly tender and creamy, and the herbs add tons of smoky, mouthwatering flavor.
- Easy recipe. The recipe needs just a handful of pantry ingredients.
- Versatile side dish. You can serve these butter beans as a side with nearly any entree, especially instead of mashed potatoes. But they are a great meal on their own too, loaded as they are with protein and fiber.
- Gluten-free, vegan, nut-free and soy-free recipe.
Ingredients
- Butter beans or large lima beans. Use the dried white lima beans, not the frozen green lima beans from the freezer section of the supermarket. If you have canned large limas, those will work too. Lima beans are extremely healthy, like all legumes. They are a great source of soluble fiber and protein and help in improving digestive health and heart health, among many benefits.
- Extra virgin olive oil. You can substitute with any oil, including avocado oil and grape seed oil.
- Herbs: Garlic, dried oregano, bay leaves and fresh parsley. You can substitute the oregano with dried basil, sage, rosemary or thyme. Or use a mix of herbs.
- Vegetables: onions, carrots and green bell peppers.
- Vegetable stock or vegetable broth. Use water if you don't have this.
- Optional ingredient: vegan butter. This is not necessary but it further enhances the flavor and texture of the butter beans. I like stirring in just a tablespoonful.
How to make creamy butter beans
Soak the butter beans in a bowl with water to cover by at least two inches. Let stand overnight or at least for six hours until the butter beans have doubled in size. Drain out the water.
Place olive oil and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium low and saute for a minute.
Stir in the vegetables: onions, bell peppers and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste. Saute for five minutes over medium heat or until the vegetables are partly tender. We are not looking to brown them.
Stir in the soaked, drained butter beans and the oregano and bay leaves. Mix well.
Add the vegetable stock or water to the pot and mix well. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. Let the beans cook 30-40 minutes or until they are tender and the liquid in the pot has reduced.
Use a ladle to mash just a few beans. This will help thicken the sauce. Add salt if needed and stir in the vegan butter at this time, if using. Stir in the parsley. Turn off heat. The sauce will thicken further as the beans stand.
Time-saving tip
- If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight or just forgot, do a quick soak. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the beans to it, return to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the beans stand for an hour. Drain and use.
Serving suggestions
These creamy beans work beautifully as a side dish or a main course. Serve with one of the following:
- Wedges of a crusty French bread or Tuscan bread or sourdough bread.
- With vegan cornbread.
- With grilled tofu steaks or veggie burgers.
- With a leafy side salad, like this vegan Caesar salad.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Place the butter beans in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freeze: Freeze the cooked beans for up to three months in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheat. Heat the thawed butter beans over stovetop or in the microwave oven until warmed through.
More yummy white bean recipes
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and a star rating below. Or tag us on Instagram #HolyCowVegan.
Creamy Butter Beans
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 1½ cups butter beans (large lima beans)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 medium carrots (finely diced)
- 1 large green bell pepper (deseeded, then finely diced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (you can taste and add more if you want to).
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (finely chopped)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the butter beans in a bowl with water to cover by at least two inches. Let stand overnight or at least for six hours until the butter beans have doubled in size. Drain out the water.
- Place olive oil and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium low and saute for a minute.
- Stir in the vegetables: onions, bell peppers and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste. Saute for five minutes over medium heat or until the vegetables are partly tender. We are not looking to brown them.
- Stir in the soaked, drained butter beans, oregano and bay leaves. Mix well.
- Add the vegetable stock or water to the pot and mix well. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. Let the beans cook 30-40 minutes or until they are tender.
- Use a ladle to mash just a few butter beans. This will help thicken the sauce. Add salt if needed and stir in the vegan butter at this time, if using. Stir in the parsley. Turn off heat. The sauce will thicken further as the beans stand.
Sue
This recipe sounds so good!
If I use canned butter beans, do I add them at the same time that the recipe says to stir in the soaked, drained butter beans?
Also, would I still use 2 cups of vegetable broth or less than 2 cups?
Thank you!
Vaishali
Great questions! Using canned beans will reduce cooking time. Yes add the beans at the same time but with just 1 cup stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes for flavors to merge.
Bloodthirsty Vegan
This, I prepared just for myself. I still had to make tri-color quinoa tacos for my wife and adult son, because "we don't like B Beans". Yes dear, you told me that 44 years ago and many times since. I usually just open a can; dump, heat, and eat. Never again. The dried beans, herbs, and veggies made this spectacular (as BBs go), even my wife got into them and concurs that she misjudged them in her youth. Easy, fast, and so good with biscuits and smokey Tempe. Thanks.
Vaishali
Awesome! That sounds like a fabulous meal. Thanks for sharing and so happy you and your wife loved the butter beans.
Lucy
Looks delicious. Can I use an Instant Pot?
Vaishali
Hi Lucy, absolutely. Do the sauteing on the "saute" function and pressure cook for 25 minutes after adding the beans and stock.
Sara
How much celery?
Vaishali
Sorry, typo on my part. I meant bell peppers. Corrected now! You can use celery instead of bell peppers or in addition to. I'd use 2 stalks. 🙂
Tricia Bekrow
I will also add celery in addition to to the green peppers. I have beautiful celery growing in my garden. This recipe and your photo looks and sounds so yummy and looks really customizable too depending what season it is you can add just about anything in season. I know I haven't made it yet, so how can I rate it? Well, its your creative recipes! So inspiring.
Tricia B
Vaishali
Celery would be awesome here! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂