30 Minute Meals

Creamy Tomato Butter Beans

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

30 minutes

Yield

3 -4

This delicious Butter Beans recipe has a tomato base that is made creamy with tahini. It’s the ultimate comfort dish.

Oh, baby! This recipe uses delicious Butter Beans (who in my opinion are having a MOMENT) to create a creamy, tomato-based bean recipe that’ll knock your socks off. It’s warming, comforting, and the perfect main dish when paired with a salad and crusty bread, or as a side dish. I promise you, you’re going to love this.

❤️ Why You’ll Love These Butter Beans

Creamy: What I love so much about this recipe is how creamy it is. The creaminess comes from tahini and it’s the perfect sidekick to the tomato-base
Comforting: Butter beans are so buttery and delicious. They make the perfect comfort food, and this creamy masterpiece will warm you from the inside
Versatile: Meal prep these for lunches, eat them as a main course or a side, or make them your own by adding in other veggies

🍲 Ingredients

Butter Beans – Also known as lima beans, butter beans are a small bean that has a creamy and buttery flavor. They are so versatile and can be added to things like salads, soups, or stews. Bonus points for it being a healthy, plant-based protein

Tahini – Tahini is made with hulled sesame seeds, oil, and salt. It makes a creamy, smooth seed butter that can be added to sauces, and dressing, and is one of the key ingredients in hummus. Tahini is also a source of healthy fats, calcium, and magnesium

👩‍🍳 How to Make Butter Beans

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large high-sided frying pan or pot. Heat to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and pinch of chili flakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes to soften, stirring often. Add the butter beans, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium-low with the lid mostly on, until most of the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with creamy beans. Make sure to stir occasionally.
After 20-25 minutes, in a small bowl whisk together tahini, pressed garlic, and lemon juice until combined. Then add the water and whisk again until smooth. Add the tahini mixture to the beans, stir, and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired.
Enjoy topped with a drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with fresh oregano, parsley, and lemon zest. Serve with a side of our Pita Bread or another bread of choice.

🗒 Variations

There are so many fantastic recipes you can make with butter beans, here are some that I love to make:

Warm Butter Beans Recipe
Spring Butter Beans Stew
Butter Beans Curry Bake

🗒 Substitutions

Here are some easy substitutes you can make in this recipe to make it your own or use what you have on hand:

Chili Flakes: You can totally add more than a pinch if you prefer your butter beans to be spicy
Veggies: Add in some of your fav veggies to this dish like zucchini or mushrooms
Toppings: Top this recipe with your favorite fresh herbs or even some cheese like feta

🗒 Best served with

Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe
Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers of this recipe in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This dish is so good even leftover.

🤔 Common Questions

Yes! These are exactly the same thing and can be called either or when looking for them in the grocery store.

They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and a great source of potassium, magnesium, among other things. These can be a great addition to your diet by adding them in curries, soups, stews, salads, or dishes like this recipe.

Totally! Some good substitutes are cannellini beans, northern beans, navy beans, or chickpeas. You can also use a combination of whatever you like best.

Creamy Tomato Butter Beans

Video

Ingredients1x2x3x

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
pinch chili flakes
3 14oz cans of butter beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup vegetable broth (can use chicken broth if not vegan or veggie)
1 ¾ cups diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tahini
3 garlic cloves, pressed
juice of one lemon
¼ cup water
garnishes: fresh oregano, fresh parsley and lemon zest

Instructions

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large high-sided frying pan or pot. Heat to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and pinch of chili flakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes to soften, stirring often. Add the butter beans, diced tomatoes and broth of choice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium-low with the lid mostly on, until most of the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with creamy beans. Make sure to stir occasionally.
After 20-25 minutes, in a small bowl whisk together tahini, pressed garlic and lemon juice until combined. Then add the water and whisk again until smooth. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/butterbean1.mp4
Add the tahini mixture to the beans, stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/butterbean2.mp4
Enjoy topped with a drizzle of olive oil, garnish with fresh oregano and parsley and lemon zest. Serve with a side of our Pita Bread or another bread of choice. https://www.foodbymaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/butterbean3.mp4

Notes

Delicious served with our Fluffy Greek Pita Bread Recipe and/or our Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad
If you like this recipe you’re sure to enjoy our other butter beans recipes like Butter Beans Curry Bake or Spring Butter Bean Stew

Nutrition

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Creamy Tomato Butter Beans

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
pinch chili flakes
3 14oz cans of butter beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup vegetable broth (can use chicken broth if not vegan or veggie)
1 ¾ cups diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tahini
3 garlic cloves, pressed
juice of one lemon
¼ cup water
garnishes: fresh oregano, fresh parsley and lemon zest