Creamy Butter Beans

vegan ~ plant-based ~ dairy-free ~ gluten-free

Serves: 8 to 12
Total Time: 2 hours and half (includes prep)
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Creamy Butter Beans

These Creamy Butter Beans are made from scratch and there is no soaking required.
I bought two pounds of these Camellia brand large lima beans, and they came out perfectly creamy. I was attracted to the amount of protein per serving, which was 11 grams. In case you haven’t noticed yet, we definitely do not consume the standard serving sizes, lol. Especially when it comes to beans or soup, hehe!

The package instructions for these beans reference the serving size as a quarter cup. So, as my math starts mathin’. Then, I began calculating a ladle here and a ladle there… plus the brown rice. Add in some spinach… bop bop bop… . This bowl of Creamy Butter Beans served alongside the brown rice, must come in around about 50 grams of protein. LOL! Seriously though, in our bowls, I served about two and a half ladles of beans. My ladle is about one cup. These came out so delicious.

I should also note, to not be concerned about the amount of liquid (broth) in this Creamy Butter Beans recipe. It may give the appearance of soup. However, because it is initially thickened with the flour and served with brown rice, it ends up making the perfect ratio. Also, if you choose to cook your beans a little longer, some of the additional liquid will be absorbed. Another thing not to be concerned with is the length of time. This is one of those recipes that you do not have to baby sit. Once it gets going, just set the timer until the next step. You can check in on this one periodically.

Butter Beans are so versatile, and this recipe is no exception. These Creamy Butter Beans can be eaten alone or served with rice. You can add them to pasta or just eat these beans with bread. They are truly delicious. I really hope you try this one. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2lbs of Dry Lima Beans (Butter Beans) – I used Camellia brand

3 Quarts of Vegetable Broth

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 of a Red Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

1 (28oz can) Diced Tomatoes (I used Fire Roasted tomatoes)

1/2 Tsp Celery Seed

1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke

12 oz of Frozen Chopped Spinach

Salt/Pepper to taste

Adobo and/or Sofrito seasoning, optional

Directions:

-Sort through your beans as you place them in a colander.

-Rinse the beans, then add them to a large pot or Dutch oven.

-Next, add three quarts of vegetable broth. Then, heat the pot over medium-high heat to bring to a boil.

*I seasoned my beans during this step in the cooking process and again later. (I added Salt/Pepper, Adobo, and Sofrito).

-Once the beans begin boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 90 minutes (an hour and half).

-After 90 minutes has elapsed. Drain your beans in a large colander over a bowl. You will want to reserve the vegetable broth. *see note.

-Back to the same pot, add extra virgin olive oil. Plus, the red onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes.

-Heat over medium-high heat to cook onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent.

-Next, add in the flour, plus about a cup of the broth to the pot. Stir to combine. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes until the mixture becomes a thick paste.

-Add in the can of diced tomatoes plus the beans back to the pot. Stir to combine.

-Next, add in additional seasonings to taste. Keep in mind how much seasoning was added initially. At this stage, I added 2 Tsp of Salt, 1 Tsp of Pepper, 1/2 Tsp of Celery Seed, and the tablespoon of Liquid Smoke.

-Stir mixture again to combine all the seasonings before adding back the remaining broth.

-Bring the beans back to a boil. Then reduce heat and continue cooking uncovered this time for 30 minutes. *Be sure to check the doneness of your beans at the 30-minute mark. You can cook for an additional 15 minutes, if needed.

-During the last five minutes of cooking, add your frozen spinach and stir to combine.

-Enjoy!