This recipe for Easy Canned Butter Beans is a creamy and comforting main or side dish!
These beans. Are. EVERYTHING.
Are you looking for vegan camping food? BOOM. Side dish for a backyard barbecue? BOOM. Comfort food on a cold, rainy day? BOOM. A healthy, high protein meatless option? BOOM BOOM BOOM!
I had a dish similar to this at a New Year’s Eve dinner at a local restaurant and have been perfecting it at home ever since. Can you believe in a five course dinner with a talented chef my favorite thing of all was butter beans?! Well technically my favorite was probably the corn ice cream with spicy popcorn, but by then I was so full that I could hardly get a bite past my mouth.
This recipe is super easy. A tiny bit of chopping and a little bit of simmering and you’re done. The vegetable broth cooks down with the beans to give it a nice creamy texture that I keep craving again and again!
I like to serve these beans the same way I received them at the restaurant – with a few toasted flatbread points and a spicy arugula salad.
You could definitely make this recipe with cooked dried beans, but I love the convenience of canned beans. I also have yet to perfect my dried bean cooking skills, so the flavor and texture of canned always seems better to me.
I legitimately might eat this, alternated with burrata with fresh cherry tomatoes, for the rest of the summer. Life has just never tasted this good!
These easy canned butter beans can be customized! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use finely chopped shallots in place of the garlic
- Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic
- Use 3 cups of vegetable broth to make a simple butter bean soup
- Sauté other veggies with the onions such as celery or zucchini
- Spread the beans on sourdough toast and top with arugula salad for an on-the-go lunch option
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounces canned large butter beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Paprika
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In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
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Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
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Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds.
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Add the beans, vegetable broth, thyme, salt, and pepper, stir, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the beans are hot, 15-20 minutes.
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Serve warm, sprinkled with paprika.
Recipe Video
If you love this recipe you may also like my Orecchiette with Spinach and Butter Beans!
it looks quite good. i will give a try for sure. thanks for the sharing.
This recipe is really easy and fun to made. I have tried it and it was terrific.
Can I replace the veggie broth for chicken broth?
Absolutely!
I’m a beginner cook whot tried this recipe tonight. I had never tried butter beans before, and I made a few mistakes in the process (I think I may have used too small of a pot or had it simmer too low, as it took longer for the liquid to reduce) but it tasted REALLY good!! I ate with over toasted baguette slices and a little balsamic salad. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for your comment. I’m sorry you found it a little difficult, but I’m glad it still worked out for you! All burners heat a little differently, so hopefully you’ll know what to change next time!