Cooking with beans provides access to so many wonderful flavours and textures, but when you’re on the hunt for something rich and creamy, no bean can compete with the butter bean.

Also known as lima beans, these typically cream-coloured beans are rich in fibre and provide a healthy dose of plant-based protein, making them perfect for vegetarians and vegans. They’re also particularly high in manganese, which helps to maintain the normal functioning of your brain and nervous system and supports bone development and maintenance.

Because butter beans have a mild taste, they can be added to a whole host of dishes without having too big an impact on the flavour (they’re often added to pasta dishes, for example) – perfect for when you want to up your fibre and protein intake without thinking too hard.  

But that doesn’t mean butter beans can’t be the stars of the show. Below, we’ve put together a collection of three simple, delicious and healthy recipes that make the most of this wonderful ingredient.

Serves: 3–4

Simple miso soup not cutting it? Elevate the traditional Japanese soup with this recipe from Romina Callwitz at Romy London, which combines salty, creamy and fresh flavours for a truly delicious final result. Between the fermented miso and fibre-rich beans, it’s also great for your gut health.

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 1 litre vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 20g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked
• 400g butter beans, drained
• 100g fresh spinach

For the spring onion pesto:

• Three to four spring onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp walnuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• A splash of water to adjust the texture

Method

1. In a medium pot, bring the vegetable broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the miso paste with a few tablespoons of warm water to form a smooth paste. Add this miso paste mixture to the simmering broth, stirring well to combine.
3. In the meantime, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes and add them into the broth alongside the drained butter beans. Bring everything to a gentle simmer for about five minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the spring onion pesto: In a blender or food processor, combine the chopped spring onions, walnuts, olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to form a coarse paste. Adjust the texture with a little water, so that you can drizzle the pesto.
5. Add the seasonal greens to the soup and let them cook for an additional two to three minutes until they wilt and become tender.
6. Ladle the piping hot miso soup into serving bowls and drizzle a spoonful of the spring onion pesto over each bowl of soup.
7. Garnish with additional chopped spring onions or a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve immediately to enjoy the comforting warmth of this brothy miso soup.

Serves: 2-3

This one-pan recipe from Tracklements takes just 20 minutes to prepare and cook, making it perfect for those nights when you’ve got limited time on your hands. The butter beans are combined with iron-rich spinach and a tomato base to create a warming and fresh flavour profile.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 230ml good quality tomato ketchup
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle sauce
• 2 x 400g tins butter beans, not drained
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of spinach, roughly chopped
• Greek yoghurt and chopped parsley to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two to soften, but not brown.
2. Add the tomato ketchup and chipotle sauce to the pan and cook for a further minute
3. Add both tins of butter beans and their water, stir and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and stir through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Finally, add the spinach and stir until wilted. Serve in bowls with a large dollop of Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of parsley. Use chunks of toasted, buttered sourdough as a spoon.

Serves: 8

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to increase the variety of plants in your diet, this stew from California Walnuts is ideal. The butter beans are joined by olives, walnuts, courgettes and more to create a hearty, fibre-rich meal.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 peppers cut into small chunks
• 2 courgettes thickly sliced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 x 400g cans butter beans drained and rinsed
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 150g walnuts
• 75g pitted green olives sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• Rice to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, peppers and courgettes for five minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the paprika and garlic and cook for one minute then add the butter beans, chopped tomatoes, ½ can of water, walnuts and olives, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Serve with cooked rice and sprinkle with parsley to finish.

Images: Romina Callwitz; Tracklements; California Walnuts