Mashed butter beans are an easy, high protein side dish recipe! They're naturally gluten-free and easy to make vegan or dairy-free, making them a great addition to your dinner table or a healthier Thanksgiving meal!
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Mashed potatoes are one of the best side dish recipes, but sometimes you need to change it up.
Thankfully there's also butter bean mash! I know it sounds a little out there, but give this recipe a try and I'm sure you'll be adding this to your dinner menu more often.
This has quickly become one of my favorite butter bean recipes thanks to the big, fresh flavor and how easy it is to throw together with pantry ingredients!
There are lots of ways to tweak and customize this recipe to your liking, but I liked the beans really creamy, almost like a puree. It's also easy to customize the flavor with the additional ingredients.
What is butter bean mash?
This recipe is just what it sounds like - tender butter beans mashed with flavorful ingredients to create a high protein, comforting, and craveable side dish for your holiday table or favorite protein.
This would be an excellent addition to a healthier Thanksgiving menu paired with my Thanksgiving tempeh. It would also be a fun twist with my fondant potatoes, considering potatoes are usually mashed and beans are usually part of the main dish!
Ingredients
- Yellow onion
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Canned butter beans
- Vegetable broth
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Heavy cream or vegan cream (optional)
How to make mashed butter beans
- Heat olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the beans and broth and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. You can also add the cream if you choose to use it. Using an immersion blender, puree the bean mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. You could also transfer the mixture to a food processor or high powered blender, just make sure you vent the lid to allow steam to escape.
- Serve warm alongside your favorite protein or topped with roasted vegetables.
Top tips
How to mash butter beans
I used my immersion blender (affiliate link) to mash these butter beans, but a food processor or blender would work also. Keep in mind that the beans are warm while mashing, so you would need to vent anything with a lid to prevent steam building up.
How to get perfectly smooth butter bean mash
If you want your mash to be perfectly smooth, consider passing it through a ricer or food mill. You could also just keep blending for up to 5 minutes. A high powered blender may make this easier.
Adjusting the consistency
I kept my mash pretty loose, but if you want a stiffer mash I'd recommend reducing the amount of vegetable stock. You can always add more as you're blending them to loosen it up.
If you decide after blending that it's too runny for your liking, simply place the pot back on the stove top and let it bubble over medium low heat for a few minutes until thickened. I would especially recommend a thicker consistency if you're planning to serve this with gravy so it all doesn't run together.
Serving with gravy
If you want to serve this butter bean mash with gravy I would recommend leaving out the lemon and using less vegetable stock to make a thicker mash.
What to serve with mashed butter beans
- Air Fryer Tofu
- BBQ Tempeh
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Vegetarian Lentil Meatloaf Muffins
- Thanksgiving Tempeh
- Creamy Mushroom Tempeh
- Homemade Veggie Nuggets
- Vegan Ham
- Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Fondant Potatoes
How to store
Leftover butter bean mash can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips for customizing mashed butter beans
- Leave out the optional cream (or use vegan cream) to make this a vegan recipe
- For a smoother or thicker mash, use more or less vegetable stock
- Add more or less lemon juice to taste
- Use your favorite mix of fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or oregano
- Add a head of roasted garlic in place of the fresh garlic
FAQ
Butter beans, also known as lima beans, are a legume that is usually white in color. They're broad and flat with a tender, creamy texture.
You can usually find them canned in both a large and baby size. I recommend using the large size for this recipe since there will be more creamy bean center to mash.
Yes! You'll just need to cook the beans before proceeding with this recipe. For more information you can check out this post on how to cook dried butter beans.
Butter beans are best here, but if you need to make a substitution try another creamy white bean such as cannellini beans or great northern beans.
More butter bean recipes
- Butter Bean Soup
- Orecchiette with Spinach and Butter Beans
- Easy Canned Butter Beans
- White Bean Dip
- Greek Pizza
- Chipotle Veggie Quesadillas
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Mashed Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 32 ounces canned butter beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Zest of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream, or vegan cream (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the beans and broth and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. You can also add the cream if you choose to use it. Using an immersion blender, puree the bean mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. You could also transfer the mixture to a food processor or high powered blender, just make sure you vent the lid to allow steam to escape.
- Serve warm alongside your favorite protein or topped with roasted vegetables.
Notes
Tips for customizing mashed butter beans
- Leave out the optional cream (or use vegan cream) to make this a vegan recipe
- For a smoother or thicker mash, use more or less vegetable stock
- Add more or less lemon juice to taste
- Use your favorite mix of fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or oregano
- Add a head of roasted garlic in place of the fresh garlic
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