This easy Creamy Butter Beans Recipe with roasted tomatoes is rich, nourishing, and the easiest 40-minute dinner packed with proteins.
I love to make speedy vegan dinners, these quick recipes that are not only easy to make but also full of taste, flavors, and nutrients. These Creamy Butter Beans are a wonderful quick meal that is perfect on garlic toasts or on its own.
It’s a great alternative to my Lemon Broccoli Green Pasta Sauce or my Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce but it has the advantage of not needing to cook pasta! You have all you need in that one hearty and healthy dinner recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter Beans – Canned for convenience. Dried beans can be used if soaked and cooked in advance.
- Roma Tomatoes – These can be substituted with cherry tomatoes or regular tomatoes cut into chunks. Roma tomatoes are the best because they release less water and have a stronger tomato flavor.
- Garlic Cloves – Fresh is best, but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch. For rubbing on the bread, I definitely recommend fresh garlic.
- Roasted Almonds – This can be replaced with cashews or sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin for best flavor. It can be substituted with avocado oil, but this will lose some of the typical Italian flavors of the dish.
- Italian Herbs – Use a pre-mixed blend or create your own with oregano, basil, and thyme.
- Sugar – This helps balance the acidity of tomatoes. It can be omitted or replaced with a pinch of stevia if you prefer.
- Vegetable Broth – Homemade or store-bought. You can use water if it’s all you have.
- Spinach – You can also use kale or Swiss chard but these are less neutral in taste than spinach.
- Tomato Paste – To add depth of flavor. Sundried tomato paste can be used for a more intense flavor.
- Sourdough Bread – Use any bread slices you like, but I strongly recommend bread with a crusty crust.
How to Make Creamy Butter Beans
This is quite an easy recipe to follow with the printable recipe card further down, but here are pictures of key steps.
Roast the tomatoes and garlic in olive oil for 30 minutes while soaking the almonds.
Combine all the sauce ingredients in the jug of a blender.
Blend the tomato sauce using the high-speed setting. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth.
Place the beans in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Pour the tomato sauce over the beans and add the spinach at the last minute.
Toast some sourdough bread slices and rub some garlic and olive oil on the surface, serve with the beans.
Expert Tips
- For a smoother sauce, blend a portion of the butter beans with the tomato mixture.
- Try roasting additional vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini with the tomatoes for different flavors.
- For a protein boost, add plant-based sausage or tempeh crumbles to the dish.
- Make a double batch of the roasted tomato sauce and freeze half for future quick meals.
- Experiment with different bean varieties like cannellini or giant lima beans for texture variations.
- For a lower-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice instead of with bread.
- Serve with fresh basil or parsley just before serving for a burst of freshness.
- For a creamier texture, stir in a dollop of plant-based yogurt or cashew cream before serving.
- Leftovers can be blended into a creamy soup by adding more vegetable broth and reheating.
More Veggie Sauce Recipes
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Creamy Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cans Butter Beans - (15 oz each) drained
- 6 Roma Tomatoes - 560g/20oz (note 1)
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- ½ cup Roasted Almonds - soaked, drained (note 2)
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian Herbs
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ⅓ cup Vegetable Broth
- 2-3 handful Spinach
- 1 pinch Salt & Pepper - adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
Garlic Sourdough Slices
- 3-4 slices Sourdough Bread
- 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic Clove - peeled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). In a baking dish, add the whole Roma tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves, Italian herbs, salt, and olive oil. Toss to coat the tomatoes with the oil.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst out.
- Meanwhile, pour boiled water over the almonds and soak them for 30 minutes while the tomatoes are cooking.
- Ten minutes before the tomatoes are cooked, place the sourdough bread slices on top of a large baking sheet, drizzle olive oil on both sides, and pop it in the oven on the rack just under the tomatoes. Bake for 10 minutes until crispy.
- Remove the bread from the oven and grate the garlic clove on both sides of the toasted bread slices to add a garlic flavor. Set aside.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes, then add them to a high-speed blender, including the oil left in the pan, vegetable broth, sugar, and drained almonds.
- Blend on high speed until a thick, creamy sauce forms.
- Pour the sauce in a large saucepan, fold the butter beans and tomato paste, bring the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, cook, and stir in 2-3 handful of baby spinach leaves.
- Stir and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is warm and thick.
- Taste and adjust salt, pepper or chili flakes for a boost of spiciness.
I live in US and am wondering how this would be adapted for using dried Lima beans? (I guess that’s what they are called here) or do we have to used canned?
If you cook your Lima beans before, following your packaging instructions, then it will be perfect to add in this sauce.
could you use almond flour if one didn’t didn’t have nuts and soak it for less time in water?
I have never used almond flour in a dish, I don’t think it will get as creamy as cashews, but you can try and let me know.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Loved it! Super delicious! I used canelini beans!
Glad you liked them!!
This was fantastic! I was leery of my husband enjoying it, but he went back for seconds! I used cashews as that was what was in the cupboard. Absolutely delicious combination and it was so fun to be creative for dinner!
Oh thank you so much!
Delicious! I ended up omitting the bread and serving it as sort of a thick soup with chicken and shockingly my husband loved. I didn’t make it for him because he’s impossible to please, but pleasantly surprised he liked it. I also used an immersion blender once I added the beans becuase I just wanted the beans a little more broken up. Absolutely delicious, thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you!!!
Carine, this is the best recipe I’ve tried!
thank you so much!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Thank you!!