1-Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Butter Beans
These high protein creamy butter beans are so flavorful and easy to make! All you need are a few simple ingredients, one pot, and 10 minutes!
Lazy meals are my favorites, which includes everything made in one pot and/or in 10 minutes or less. This recipe does both! It’s one of my favorite go to meals that I make at least once a week.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Creamy Tomato & Basil Butter Beans
🍝TIP: if you’re a pasta lover, be sure to check out the gnocchi version of this recipe!
- This recipe is ready in just 10 minutes from start to finish!
- It’s high in plant protein (with 29 grams per serving.)
- You can enjoy this dish as a main course or a side dish.
- These beans are super easy to make!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The following is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe, as well as recommended substitutions. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
- Olive oil: instead of olive oil, you can also use dairy-free butter or a different kind of oil (like avocado oil.) Alternatively, feel free to omit (just be sure to use a non-stick pot so the ingredients don’t burn.)
- Grape tomatoes: grape or cherry tomatoes are ideal since they don’t require chopping, which saves extra time! If you’re using bigger tomatoes, just be sure to chop them first.
- Fresh thyme: you can also use dried thyme (about 1/8 teaspoon per sprig of fresh thyme) or oregano.
- Garlic & onion powder: I use powders in this recipe to save on prep time, but if you don’t mind spending a little extra time prepping, you can, of course, also use fresh garlic and onion. I’d recommend about 1 minced garlic clove per 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/4 small chopped shallot or 1/2 chopped green onion (the white part only) per 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder.
- Smoked paprika: I love the smokiness smoked paprika adds to savory dishes, but sweet paprika powder will work too!
- Ginger powder: this is optional! You can also use grated fresh ginger root (about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon per 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder.)
- Salt & Pepper
- Light brown sugar: any kind of sugar (like coconut sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup) works!
🍃Are Butter Beans and Lima Beans the same thing? Technically speaking, yes. They refer to the same legume variety. However, “lima bean” usually refers to the green, less mature bean, whereas “butter bean” refers to the white/beige mature bean. For this recipe, I recommend using the mature butter bean as it’ll be milder in taste and more buttery in texture.
- Canned butter beans: or another kind of white bean or chickpeas.
- Vegetable broth or white wine: I personally love the version with white wine, but the broth version is just as delicious! NOTE: Wine takes several hours to completely burn off when cooking, so if you want an alcohol-free version, be sure to use vegetable broth.
- Lemon juice: you could use lime juice, too.
- Fresh basil leaves: you can also use baby spinach.
- Non-Dairy Greek-style yogurt: make sure it’s unsweetened! Instead, you can also use coconut cream, in which case I’d recommend adding it during the cooking process (at the same time as the broth.)
- Garnishes: cracked black pepper and extra basil leaves.
- To serve: Spelt or whole wheat pita or sourdough bread (optional.)
Recommended Equipment
How to Make This Recipe (Step by Step)
The following is a step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe. For a recap, be sure to check out the recipe card below.
Step One: Sauté the Tomatoes
Add the olive oil and grape tomatoes to a small to medium saucepan/pot and heat over medium-high heat (see notes.) Sauté for 1-2 minutes while you gather the other ingredients.
Step Two: Add the Butter Beans & Spices
Add the butter beans, thyme (be sure to remove the stems first) and spices. Mix and sauté for another minute.
Step Three: Add the Broth and Cook the Butter Beans
Add the broth (or wine) and cook on medium-high to high heat for another 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Mix in the fresh basil leaves and lemon juice at the very end (once the pot is removed from the heat.)
Step Four: Serve & Enjoy the Creamy Butter Beans
Add the Greek-style yogurt to a bowl or plate, spreading it out using a spoon or spatula.
Top with the butter beans.
Finally, garnish with a few extra basil leaves and a pinch of cracked black pepper and Enjoy!
Serving Suggestion
These creamy butter beans are even better with some warm spelt or whole wheat pita bread, or a slice of freshly toasted sourdough bread!
Creamy Butter Beans – Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this dish high protein?
The butter beans and non-dairy Greek-style yogurt give this dish its high protein content (29 grams of plant protein per serving!)
What can I replace the butter beans with?
Instead of butter beans, you can also use other kinds of white beans (like cannellini beans), chickpeas, or lentils. Alternatively, you can make this dish with pasta like gnocchi, but it would reduce the protein content. I actually made a similar version with gnocchi recently, which you can see here.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes! The recipe itself is gluten-free. The only thing that includes gluten is the pita bread mentioned in the serving suggestion, but you can simply omit or opt for gluten-free bread instead.
Can I use spinach instead of basil?
Yes! You can either replace the basil with chopped fresh baby spinach (in which case I’d recommend adding it at the same time as the broth) or use both.
1-Pot Creamy Tomato Butter Beans – Recipe Card
Use this card to save and/or print this recipe. For additional step by step photo instructions, ingredient notes, and recipe tips, be sure to read the full blog post above.
1-Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive oil
- 8 ounces (225 g) Grape tomatoes
- 3 sprigs Fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger powder
- 1 pinch Sea salt or more, to taste
- 1 pinch Black pepper or more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon Light brown sugar
- 14 ounces (400 g) Canned butter beans rinsed & drained (see notes)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Vegetable broth or white wine, see notes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon of lemon juice corresponds to the juice of about 1/2 lemon
- 1 handful Fresh basil leaves or to taste
To Serve
- ½ cup (120 ml) Non-Dairy Greek-style yogurt unsweetened
- 4 leaves Fresh basil or to taste
- 1 pinch Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and grape tomatoes to a small to medium saucepan/pot and heat over medium-high heat (see notes.) Sauté for 1-2 minutes while you gather the other ingredients.
- Add the butter beans, thyme (be sure to remove the stems first) and spices. Mix and sauté for another minute. Add the broth (or wine) and cook on medium-high to high heat for another 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally using a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix in the fresh basil leaves and lemon juice at the very end (once the pot is removed from the heat.)
- Add the Greek-style yogurt to a bowl or plate, spreading it out using a spoon or spatula. Top with the butter beans. Finally, garnish with a few extra basil leaves and a pinch of cracked black pepper and Enjoy!
Notes
- A note on heat settings: if you’re using an electric stove that takes a little longer to heat up, start with high heat and then lower it a bit if it gets too hot later on. If, however, you’re using a gas or induction stove, set the heat to medium or slightly above medium to ensure the ingredients don’t burn.
- Serving size: this recipe makes 1 large serving as a meal or 2-3 sides.
- You can use both vegetable broth or white wine. If using broth, you’ll just need a little less salt.
- The weight of the butter beans refers to the undrained weight indicated on the can/jar, not the drained weight. One 14-ounce/400g can refers to about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans.
Nutrition Per Serving
🌿Don’t hesitate to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. And if you try & love this recipe, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating ❤️
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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoyed this creamy butter bean recipe, you might also like the following delicious vegan recipes.
- Quick & Easy 1-Pot Gnocchi (Ready in Just 7 Minutes!)
- Super Easy 1-Pot Pasta
- 1-Pot Spanish-Style Potato & Chorizo Soup (Veganized)
If you’re looking for more high protein vegan recipes, be sure to check out the high protein category on the blog.
Delicious! And very easy to put together.
So glad you enjoyed it!:)