20 Minute Canned Butter Beans Recipe

This is a super easy, nutritious meal that you can make in under 20 minutes. Loaded with fibre from butter beans, carrots, leeks, garlic, and spinach, and high in protein thanks to the addition of nutritional yeast. They're simple, creamy, a little cheesy, and absolutely delicious!

Beans are soooo good for you, and sometimes I find myself not cooking with them enough because I'm trying to maximize my protein. And let's be honest, beans are a carb source, not protein source, so creating full meals around them can be not so macro friendly. BUT there are ways around this, like adding nutritional yeast to the stewing beans, which packs serious protein. I used 1/2 cup nutritional yeast for these and it bring the overall protein up by 24g! Then pairing them with bread, which I know is another carb source, but just like beans, the right kind of bread can add a good amount of protein to your meal too! 

Why butter beans? Because they're big, chewy, buttery and mild in flavour, meaning they're ready to soak in whatever you stew 'em in. Plus they're loaded with health benefits like 9g of gut loving fibre per cup, as well as magnesium, potassium, iron, and vitamin C to name a few. Plus, they're delicious! They'll keep you full for hours, and some beans a day might just keep the doctor away. 

 

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is an easy, weeknight recipe that comes together in 20 minutes. 

It's gluten free, nut free, and soy free.

It's made from whole plant foods. 

It's great for meal prep. Feel free to double or triple the recipe for your week ahead. 

The recipe is super flavourful!

What You'll Need

Now listen, if you want these to be 20 minutes, you've got to use canned butter beans. If you want to make the beans from scratch, GO YOU! But keep in mind, you'll have to soak them overnight before beginning, then of course the stew part will take up to an hour. 

Vegetable broth. I like to use Better Than Bouillon for all my stock needs. I usually buy this in bulk at Costco in a big jar that lasts me half the year. It's a great way to add flavour to so many dishes with  just a spoonful. You can also use a stock cube!

Nutritional yeast for a boost of protein. The beans on their own round out to 36g of protein for the whole dish, by adding in creamy, cheesy, nutritional yeast you're boosting the overall protein by 24g! That's almost double.

Leeks, for a nice spring onion flavour. If you prefer another onion bite, then feel free to use yellow or white onions. 

Carrot adds a nice sweetness to this dish that I think rounds it out perfectly. Personally I think you have to add sweet to all savoury dishes to really pop the overall flavour balance. Usually I do this by adding a pinch of coconut sugar or maple syrup, but I think the cooked carrots bring in just enough sweetness to balance this dish. 

Lemon juice at the end really brightens this up and takes this thick stewed bean dish from winter to spring. I add just a touch at the end. 

Spinach or kale. I kind of enjoy throwing greens into everything. I feel like most dishes need that pop of green for the visual. Of course it also adds nutrition, so that's a win, win. 

 

Substitutions

Don't have canned butter beans? You could substitute these for white cannellini beans for a seamless swap. 

You can substitute the leeks for yellow or white onion. You could also consider using spring onions, but I would just add those in when you add the garlic, not at the beginning like I do with the leek.

Instead of carrot you could use a bell pepper, or go a totally different direction and pan fry mushrooms! It would eliminate the sweetness from the carrots, but I think it would still taste really great.

For spinach use any preferred green you like! Try kale, or think herbs like parsley, dill, or cilantro. 

 

Storing

These butter beans are perfect for meal prep too! Make the batch or double it for the week ahead for an easy, balanced, protein rich meal option. 

Beans will last in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. 

These are my go-to glass meal prep containers that I use every single week for meal prep. They're dishwasher safe, non-toxic, and super durable.

 

How To Make The Beans

Start with a hot pan and cook down the leeks and carrots, before adding in the chopped garlic.

 Add in all the other ingredients and cook for 5-7 minutes to combine the flavours.

Option to remove 2/3 cup of the mixture and blend it, then put it back and mix through for a really thick bean stew that easily sits on top of crusty bread. 

Mix in the spinach, lemon juice, and top with black pepper and additional salt.

Serve over toast.

Please note: all macros and calories have been calculated to the best of my ability but may vary slightly. 

 

Want more bean recipes?! Next up try these BBQ Beans served on toast!

 

Butter Beans with Leeks, Carrots, and Garlic 

Recipe makes 3 servings

Macros per serving, beans:

342 cals - 6g fat - 51g carbs - 21g protein 

Macros per serving, beans + 1/4 of a french baguette:

542 cals - 7g fat - 91g carbs - 28g protein 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 leek
• 1 carrot
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 x 398 ml cans butter beans 
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon 
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 
• 2 cups spinach 
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 servings bread, I used 3/4 of a french baguette (1/4 per serving)

 

Instructions:

1. Prepare the leek by slicing thin pieces all the way up until you reach the thick green stalk. You don't want to cook the green part, it won't soften. 
2. Clean the chopped leeks well. There is often dirt in the inside layers. Set aside to dry. 
3. Peel and chop the carrot into small pieces. Set aside.
4. Dice the garlic, set aside.
5. Preheat a pan to medium low heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil, coating the bottom of the pan. 
6. Add in chopped leeks, carrots, and a pinch of salt. 
7. Cook leeks and carrot for 5 minutes or until softened. 
8. While the carrots and leeks cook, open the cans of beans, drain and rinse them well. Set aside.
9. At 5 minutes, the leeks and carrots should be relatively soft. Add the chopped garlic and cook the vegetables for another 2 minutes. 
10. Add in beans, vegetable bouillon + 1 cup water, nutritional yeast, and 1/2 tsp salt. 
11. Mix everything together well and reduce heat to low. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 
12. OPTION for really thick beans: remove 2/3 cup bean mixture and add to a blender for 30 seconds. Then add back into the pot, mixing through. 
13. Once all the flavours have married, turn off the heat and add in spinach, lemon juice, and black pepper. Mix through until spinach is wilted. 
14. Taste test and adjust salt as needed. 
15. Serve over or beside crusty toasted bread. 
16. ENJOY!

 

 

Let me know in the comments if you make this, and how it went! Comments and reviews really help the blog grow, I truly appreciate it!