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butter beans in a tomato sauce on a white plate

Butter Beans Recipe

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4.75 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Category Appetizer, Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine Amercican
Author Lauren Grant

Description

A delicious one-pan recipe for saucy butter beans! Serve as-is with naan or pita bread or pile onto a piece of toast.

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Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 3 large cloves garlic, sliced
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can butter beans or gigante beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar, (distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or honey

Instructions

  • Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large saut´ pan over medium heat until just barely shimmering.
  • Add 1 minced shallot and 3 cloves sliced garlic; season lightly with salt and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in 8 ounces halved cherry or grape tomatoes, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Uncover, add 1 drained can butter beans, cover and cook until beans are tender and tomatoes are jammy, 6–10 minutes, stirring halfway through. (Cook time will largely depend on how soft your beans are out of the can. If they are very soft, wait to add them until the tomatoes are already cooked down a bit. If they aren’t soft, add them with the tomatoes.)
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar; season to taste with salt and additional pepper flakes.

Equipment

saute pan

Notes

The texture of canned butter beans can vary quite a bit by brand. Some beans are firmer than others. We recommend opening the can or jar and tasting a few of the beans. If they are fairly firm, use them as directed in the recipe. However, if they are pretty soft and don’t need much additional cooking, wait to add them to the tomato sauce until later in the cooking process. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe
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