The humble butter bean is arguably one of the most underrated ingredients. They are affordable, versatile, and nutritional and have a wonderful buttery texture that will elevate any dish! What more could you ask for?
If you fancy a tasty, cheap, and healthy dish for dinner tonight, take a look at our 13 delicious butter bean recipes below.
Whether you’re a total novice looking for an easy meal, or you want to stretch your culinary skills – we have something for you.
1. Chicken And Shredded Sprouts Pie With Butter Bean Mash
We just had to kick this list off with a wonderfully warming pie – and this chicken and shredded sprouts pie does not disappoint!
If you’re craving nostalgic comfort food but don’t want the heavy feeling afterward, this dish is perfect for you. The butterbean mash is creamy, and delicious, and is a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein!
As a bonus, this recipe is very easy to follow and ideal if you love to prepare your meals in advance! It will last in the fridge for around 3 days, making it a great lunch option.
Or, you could freeze the leftovers and use them whenever you fancy a lazy meal.
2. Veggie Bean Casserole With Pesto Garlic Croûtes
Who doesn’t love a hearty casserole? This veggie bean casserole with pesto garlic croutons is a great recipe for vegetarians and veggie lovers!
If you love a one-pot recipe, it doesn’t get much better than this! The addition of fennel, bay leaves, and red wine creates an unbeatable depth of flavor and a delicious richness that is sure to satisfy everyone around the table.
The recipe suggests that you use one jar of high-quality pesto. However, if you fancy pushing the boat out or trying something new, we highly recommend making your own.
Homemade pesto always impresses any dinner guests!
3. Butter Bean And Tomato Salad
So far, we’ve focused on winter-friendly dishes. However, butter beans are incredibly versatile, and work beautifully in light refreshing salads too!
In fact, this butter bean and tomato salad recipe is the perfect example. It is zingy, fresh, full of flavor, and is a great option for a summer BBQ side dish. And, it’s vegan – so everyone can enjoy it!
The key to this recipe is all in the quality of the ingredients. For the best results, make sure that you purchase super-ripe onions, tomatoes, and courgettes.
Trust us, it’s worth splashing out a bit more on these ingredients, they really do make the dish special!
4. Easy Butter Bean Stew
Stews are great. But, they often take hours to cook and a lot of effort. If you want all of the benefits of a stew without the hassle, this recipe is perfect for you.
In fact, this recipe comes together in just 25 minutes! And, in our opinion, there is no compromise on flavor.
It suggests that you use canned butter beans instead of dried ones – this way you can avoid the fuss of soaking and boiling them!
5. Creamy Spanish Butter Beans
Cooking for a dinner party or gathering can be stressful – especially if you want a number of side dishes that people can enjoy.
When we have a party, we love using this creamy Spanish butter beans recipe – it’s tasty, quick, and very economical!
This recipe does suggest that you use dried butter beans. However, if you’re in a pinch for time, feel free to use the canned version.
To be honest, we can barely taste the difference! For the best results, be sure to serve with some quality crusty bread.
6. Smoky Cod And Butter Bean Filo Pie
If you’re trying to follow a diet, it can often feel like your meals lack flavor or heartiness. However, this fish pie recipe is a game-changer! It has fewer than 500 calories per serving, it’s super filling, and most importantly of all, it is bursting with flavor.
Don’t let the filo pastry stress you out – this recipe actually suggests that you use ready-made filo pastry! It also suggests that you steam some tender stem broccoli to serve, but we highly recommend pan frying for the tastiest result.
7. Crisp And Sticky Kale And Butter Beans With Balsamic Vinegar
If you love a salad but want something a bit more warming and filling over the winter months, we highly recommend you give this recipe a try.
This kale and butter bean salad is full of wonderful textures and flavors. Whether you need a vegan-friendly starter or something to fill a gap on the Christmas dinner plate, this recipe will do the trick.
You need just 7 ingredients to bring this dish together, and you likely already have a few of them in your pantry. To really make this dish sing, we recommend splashing out on a high-quality bottle of balsamic vinegar.
8. Butter Bean, Chorizo, And Spinach Baked Eggs
We love brunch, but we know that it can get a bit repetitive. If you want to spice up your brunch, this recipe is a great place to start.
It is budget-friendly, nutritional, vibrant, and full of flavor! This dish is sure to get you through the day. When serving this dish, be sure to provide lots of crusty bread to scoop up the eggs!
We also recommend using fresh spinach, but frozen will also work if necessary.
9. Easy Canned Butter Beans
If you’re on the go and need something quick, tasty, and plant-based, you can’t go wrong with this easy canned butter beans recipe.
In fact, we love using this recipe when we’re camping! It is so warming, filling, and simple to throw together that you can enjoy it pretty much anywhere.
But, if the great outdoors isn’t your thing, this recipe can also make for a great snack, starter, or side dish.
You only need a handful of ingredients to create this dish. If you’re making it to be a side at a dinner party or BBQ, we recommend using high-quality extra virgin olive oil and vegetable broth to elevate it.
10. Butter Bean Soup
On a cold day, what could be better than a bowl of filling and creamy soup? If you’re looking for a new soup to add to your winter rotation, this recipe is perfect for you.
This butter bean soup is vegan, full of nutritious ingredients, budget-friendly, and mouth-wateringly delicious. If you aren’t vegan and want to incorporate some meat, it also tastes good with some crispy bacon or pancetta on top.
Similarly, feel free to swap out vegetable stock for chicken stock.
However, regardless of which you chose, it is important that you use a good quality stock to really make this soup sing. Trust us – you can really taste the difference.
11. Tomato And Garlic Butter Bean Dinner
If you’re feeling a bit bored with your weeknight staples, this dish will be a welcome addition. In fact, you can serve this tomato and garlic butter bean dish with pretty much anything you want – from pasta to fish and everything in between!
In addition to being wonderfully versatile, it is also very quick and easy to make. In fact, it requires just 4 ingredients – two of which are tinned, so it’s incredibly economical too! What more could you ask for?
12. Lamb And Tomato Stew With Butter Beans And Feta
We have already included a few great stews on this list, but if you fancy trying something new and stretching your culinary skills, we highly recommend that you give this lamb and tomato stew recipe a try.
The sauce is decadently rich, the lamb is tender, the butter beans add a wonderfully creamy texture, and the sprinkle of feta provides a moreish saltiness.
This dish is a great option if you want to wow some dinner guests!
13. Warm Fennel, Butter Bean, And Parmesan Dip
Finally, we thought we’d finish this list with a simple but wonderful dip. This warm fennel, butter bean, and parmesan dip is incredibly moreish!
We highly recommend making this dip for parties or gatherings – particularly during the holiday season! It works beautifully with crunchy cucumber, carrot, crackers, or even a fresh and warm load of crusty bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Butter beans are a wonderfully healthy ingredient. They are a great source of carbohydrates, and they’re very high in both protein and fiber.
They also have a low-fat content, making them one of the healthiest pantry staples you can get!
Yes, you can! Thanks to their high protein content, butter beans are super filling – despite their low-calorie content. This makes them an ideal ingredient if you are hoping to lose some weight.
Just make sure that you are incorporating them into a balanced diet.
Yes. Butter beans and lima beans are the same kind of bean! The reason for the two different names is just down to geography.
In the UK and South America, they are usually called butter beans, due to their creamy texture. However, in most other countries, they are called lima beans.
This is because they have been grown in Peru for thousands of years, and the capital of Peru is Lima.
Conclusion
Butter beans are a truly incredible ingredient. We hope that this article has given you the inspiration you need to grab a tin of butter beans from your pantry and create a tasty dinner!
13 Delicious Butter Bean Recipes
Butter beans are nutritional, economical, versatile, and most importantly – delicious! Check out our 13 delicious butter bean recipes here. You’ll love them!
Directions
- Pick a recipe from above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Recipe Video
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