Butter Beans Recipe
Make Butter Beans Recipe in just 2h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Main ingredients
Aromatics & base
Flavoring & finish
Method
Preparation (soak & sort)
- 1
Sort and rinse
Place the dried butter beans on a tray or plate and pick out any small stones or discolored beans. Transfer to a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
- 2
Soak
Place the rinsed beans in a large bowl and cover with 6–8 cups of cold water. Soak at room temperature for 8–12 hours (overnight) until beans have roughly doubled in size. For a quick-soak method: bring beans and 6 cups water to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Cooking the beans
- 3
Simmer beans
Drain the soaked beans and transfer them to a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the 4 cups of low-sodium broth and the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low to maintain a steady simmer. Partially cover and cook until beans are tender but not falling apart, 45–75 minutes depending on age and size. Check after 30–40 minutes and add more water or broth (up to 1–2 cups) if needed to keep beans submerged.
- 4
Season during cooking
About 10 minutes before the beans are finished, stir in 1 teaspoon salt (adjust later), and the fresh thyme sprigs. Continue simmering until beans are tender to your liking. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs once done.
Aromatics & finishing
- 5
- 6
Combine and finish
When the beans are tender, remove about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans and mash them coarsely with a fork or potato masher. Stir the mashed beans and the cooked aromatics into the pot of beans to thicken and add body. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt (if needed), freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon butter (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.
- 7