Creamy butter beans with sun-dried tomatoes, harissa, and coconut milk is a rich, comforting yet healthy, Tuscan-inspired, flavorful one-pot meal in 20 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s once again time to transform humble canned beans/pulses into a quick, easy, brag-worthy meal. Having shared recipes for harissa chickpeas and one-pot lentil dal, now it’s the turn of creamy butter beans. This recipe is the plant-based answer to Mediterranean/ Tuscan-inspired and “marry me” recipes—minus the dairy, but just as indulgent. It’s hearty, creamy, comforting, loaded with fiber and plant-based protein, and (super!!) delicious – everything I look for in a one-pot dinner.
Using inexpensive pantry staples, these sun-dried tomato beans are a budget-friendly, fuss-free weeknight meal you can throw together in 20 minutes and easily tweak to suit your spice, flavor, and texture preferences. Optionally, pair them with toasted garlic bread, and you’ve got yourself a meal that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort.
You might also enjoy Moroccan chickpea stew, lentil stew, and/or mujadara (lentils and rice).
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Olive oil: Or another neutral oil, like avocado oil.
- Garlic and onion: Fresh is preferred, but powdered works in a pinch.
- Tomato paste & Harissa paste: Regular or rose harissa should work. Alternatively, substitute chili paste, Turkish hot pepper paste, or extra tomato paste for mild heat.
- Seasonings: All you need is a simple yet flavorful mix of Italian seasoning (or individual herbs like oregano and/or thyme), ground cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Canned beans: (regular or low sodium) I used butter beans (lima beans), though other white beans like cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, navy beans, or chickpeas work.
- Canned coconut milk: I prefer full-fat, though lite will work. Coconut milk butter beans are naturally vegan. Other dairy-free cream alternatives will also work.
- Vegetable broth: Or bouillon + water – regular or reduced sodium.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Use regular or oil-packed (which you could use in place of the olive oil in the recipe) sun-dried or sun-blushed (semi-dried) tomatoes). Pre-sliced saves time.
Recipe Variations
- Leafy greens: Add a few handfuls of spinach, kale, or collard greens to add body/nutrients.
- Nutritional yeast: (or vegan Parmesan) For salty, umami, cheesy flavor.
- Smoked paprika: For a touch of smokiness.
- Dry red wine: Add a large splash at the end of step 4, for rich depth.
- An acidic ingredient: Add a splash of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar right at the end for brightness and depth.
- Chili oil: For extra spice, to garnish the harissa butter beans when serving.
Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
How to Make Creamy Butter Beans?
- First, finely dice the onion and garlic, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, harissa, and seasonings. Leave it to simmer for a minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Finally, taste it and adjust seasonings if necessary.
For Toasted Vegan Garlic Bread (Optional)
- Cut crusty bread into thick slices. Drizzle the slices with olive oil (or lightly spread dairy-free butter over both sides of the bread) and pan-fry until golden and crisp.
- Rub a half clove of garlic onto the grilled bread, then top with the harissa butter beans.
- Garnish with fresh basil (and/or chives), black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
How To Serve?
Enjoy this creamy butter bean stew as a side or main dish with the toasted garlic bread (above)/crusty bread, a simple side salad, and/or extra sauteed or roasted veggies on the side – like broccoli, green beans, asparagus, etc. It also works well with pasta.
Storage Information
Store: The garlic bread is best made fresh, but any leftover sun-dried tomato beans will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days (and tastes even better on day two).
Freeze: Separate the Mediterranean butter beans into freezer-safe containers, a lidded silicone muffin mold, or Ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Using the stove (over medium-low) or microwave (30-second increments, stirring between) until piping hot. Add extra broth if preferred, as the beans will soak up the sauce as it sits.
FAQs
Could I use fresh herbs?
Yes! Use 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs for each teaspoon of dried herbs. Italian seasoning blends rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and marjoram. Feel free to use one or a blend. Parsley works well, too.
Can I use dried butter beans?
Soak 1 cup of dried beans in cold water overnight. Replace the water, boil, and simmer until tender. Then, follow the recipe as written.
Recipe Top Tips
- Let ingredients bloom: Allow the tomato paste, harissa, and seasonings to pan-fry for a minute before adding liquids. This really brings out their flavor.
- To adjust the spice: Use more/less harissa paste and/or add cayenne pepper/chili flakes.
- For a thicker/smoother consistency: Optionally blend or mash a portion of the beans.
More Vegan One Pot Meals
- One-pot orzo
- 20-minute one-pot pasta
- Vegan lasagna soup
- One-pan Mexican rice
- Indian pumpkin curry
- Djuvec rice
If you try this easy sun-dried tomato bean skillet, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Creamy Butter Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste (or use 2 Tbsps tomato paste)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup (120 ml) canned coconut milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth
- 3.5 ounces (100 g) sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 (15oz) can butter beans drained and rinsed
- Bread for serving
- Fresh basil or chives to garnish
- Red pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.First, finely dice the onion and garlic, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, harissa, and seasonings. Leave it to simmer for a minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Finally, taste it and adjust seasonings if necessary. Check the recipe notes for the garlic bread.
Notes
- Cut crusty bread into thick slices. Drizzle the slices with olive oil (or lightly spread dairy-free butter over both sides of the bread) and pan-fry until golden and crisp.
- Rub a half clove of garlic onto the grilled bread, then top with the harissa butter beans.
- Garnish with fresh basil (and/or chives), black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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I’ve made this at least three times and love it. I started putting a whole can of coconut milk, which is also good!
That sounds amazing 😍
A whole can of coconut milk must make it extra creamy and rich! So happy you’ve been enjoying it and making it your own 💛
This dish is delicious! Very quick to prepare, and it’s an explosion of flavours. I added a bit of Orzo, to replace the bread and it was wonderful!
Sounds lovely! Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Thoroughly enjoyed this dish!
So happy you liked it, Hetti. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Vie kielen mennessään! Takes your tongue as we say in Finland.
Hi Satu, I hope that means you enjoyed it! 🙂