This easy butter beans recipe will literally change your life and how you cook canned butter beans. It's creamy, mildly flavored, and perfect to pair with bold flavors like garlic and harissa seasoning. This is the canned beans recipe you didn't know you needed until now.
Love beans? Try my butter beans curry, Marry Me butter beans and Mexican rice and black beans.
You have come to the right place if you have been wondering how to cook butter beans or transform them into something delicious. Who knew pairing store-cupboard essentials with cheese and other everyday ingredients could create a creamy and flavorful dish?
I love to serve this dish with rice or crusty bread (not toasted). You can never go wrong with these two options.
Why you will love this recipe
Ready in 15 minutes: This garlic butter bean (also known as lima beans) is perfect for a busy weeknight when you fancy a meatless dinner packed with protein and fiber.
Budget-friendly: This recipe uses simple and easy-to-find ingredients you may already have on hand.
Flavor-packed: This creamy, comforting, and nourishing family dinner uses beans that soak up the delicious flavors of the other ingredients paired with it.
Versatile: You are not limited to canned butter beans. You can also use dried ones if that is all you have. You have to cook the beans first until soft before proceeding to using this recipe. I love to swap butter beans for cannellini beans sometimes.
What you will need
Canned butter beans: This recipe is quick because the beans are already precooked. Raw dried lima beans will take up to 2 hours or 30 minutes if a pressure cooker is used.
Unsalted butter
Harissa seasoning
Sundried tomatoes
Garlic
Onion
Gruyere cheese
Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley: I prefer to use dried parsley for this recipe
Red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
How to make garlic butter beans
Saute the aromatics: Place a skillet on medium-high heat, add butter, and let it melt.
Add onions and saute until soft, translucent, and fragrant. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Cook the beans: Add two canned butter beans (do not drain) and stir to combine. Add harissa seasoning, sundried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes to infuse the flavor.
Using a potato masher or the back of a spatula, gently mash some of the butter beans to break it up slightly.
Add gruyere, parmesan cheese, and parsley and stir to combine until the cheese is melted.
Simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Take it off the heat and serve immediately with any crusty bread of your choice.
Watch how to make it
How to serve it
Garlic butter beans can be served with bread, pan-fried seabass, rice, quinoa, pasta, or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option).
How long to cook canned butter beans
Canned butter beans are already cooked and usually have the cooking instructions on the label. The instructions usually say to cook them for 4-5 minutes on the stove, but they can be cooked longer depending on the recipe you are using, such as todays.
Tips and variations
- You can make this recipe vegan by using vegan butter, omitting the parmesan cheese, or substituting it with vegan cheese.
- Add other vegetables like spinach, kale, or bell peppers for extra nutrition and a pop of color.
- Add canned tomatoes and season with whatever seasoning you want.
- You can substitute gruyere cheese with any other type of melting cheese like cheddar or gouda.
How to store
Once cooled, store leftover cooked butter beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
More legume recipes you will love
Chickpea and sweet potato curry
Leftover pork curry with chickpea
Garlic Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 2 16oz Canned butter beans
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- ½ Tablespoon Harissa seasoning
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes
- 3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese freshly grated
- ½ Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a skillet on medium-high heat, add butter, and let it melt.2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- Add onions and saute until soft, translucent, and fragrant. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.½ cup onion, 3 Garlic cloves
- Add two canned butter beans (do not drain) and stir to combine. Add harissa seasoning, sundried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes on medium heat to infuse the flavor.2 16oz Canned butter beans, ½ Tablespoon Harissa seasoning, ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, Salt and black pepper to taste
- Using a potato masher or the back of a spatula, gently mash some of the butter beans to break it up slightly. This will give the beans a creamy consistency.
- Add gruyere, parmesan cheese, and parsley and stir to combine until the cheese is melted.½ cup Gruyere cheese, ½ Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- Simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Take it off the heat and serve immediately with any crusty bread of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
And there you have it, a simple and delicious butter beans recipe you can make at home in 20 minutes. As always, if you made this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox.
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