Butter Beans Recipe

Warm Spanish-Style Butter Beans — Photo:
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Yield:

8 servings

F&W Test Kitchen recipe developer Melissa Gray calls this butter beans recipe a love letter to her time in Spain. Large, creamy butter beans (also known as lima beans) are the perfect vessel for an acidic, slightly sweet marinade made from saffron, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, and garlic. The pops of sweet tomato and briny olives all combine for a familiar yet new bite.

Serve this butter beans recipe with cocktails or as a weeknight side dish along with a simple roast chicken, pan-seared pork chops, or grilled strip steak.

Frequently asked questions

How do you cook dried beans?

For the best flavor, use a generous hand with salt and include aromatics like onion and carrots when cooking your beans from a dried state. (No, you don’t need to soak them first.) Read more about the best way to cook dried beans.

Are butter beans and lima beans the same thing?

Butter bean and lima bean are two names for the same bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Likely originating in Peru, the beans are large and flat in shape. They’re widely available dried, fresh, and frozen; for the best flavor, start with good dry beans.

Where can you buy dry lima beans?

Lima beans are widely available, but for a special treat, source from a bean specialist. Rancho Gordo is one of the best. Their beans are all heirloom and non-GMO. Plus, all of the beans they offer are less than two years old; 95% are less than one year old. One of the oldest suppliers of heirloom beans in the United States, Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans works with small family farms to grow most of their legumes in Idaho’s Snake River Canyon region, processing the beans from the raw state in-house.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Heating the paprika and saffron with the tomatoes and garlic at the beginning of the cooking process helps their fragrance and flavor permeate the whole dish.

In our tests, we used Vinegar de Jerez from Sanchez Romate (sherry vinegar made in Jerez, Spain). We found butter beans at Whole Foods (they are also available at many grocery stores and online retailers). A lot of times you will see manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos — these are fine to use as well. You can either remove the pepper inside or simply leave.

Make ahead

This butter beans recipe can be made ahead of time. Store the dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Suggested pairing

Choose a crisp, coastal Spanish white, such as Lagar de Cervera Albariño.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 pints grape tomatoes (4 cups)
1 cup chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Pinch of saffron threads (about 12 threads)
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic, divided
6 cups cooked and drained large lima beans plus 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid
1/2 cup chopped manzanilla olives
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped (about 5 tablespoons)
Toasted crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add grape tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, smoked paprika, saffron threads, and smashed garlic cloves; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and begin to burst, 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir in cooked lima beans and bean cooking liquid, olives, sherry vinegar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Spoon into an ungreased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until heated through and liquid is slightly reduced, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Stir together parsley leaves, chopped garlic, remaining 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Spoon mixture over warm beans. Serve beans with toasted crusty bread.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, December 2023 / January 2024