Marry Me Butter Beans are hearty and so satisfying! This Tuscan-inspired recipe is made with sun-dried tomatoes, butter beans, and seasonings, cooked in a rich and creamy sauce that believe it or not, is mostly dairy-free! It’s ready in under 45 minutes and requires just one pot to make!
Recipe Price: $9.07 | Per Serving: $2.27 | Yield: 4 Servings
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This dish gets its inspiration from the popular Marry Me Chicken recipe that went viral on social media this year. I love sun-dried tomatoes and overall this dish is amazing, but I am on a real butter bean kick right now – and they’re delicious and plentiful here in Barcelona.
The traditional dish is made with heavy cream and butter but we’re swapping it out with just a touch of olive oil and giving it a rich creamy texture using blended cashews. I actually did try it with heavy cream and found that the cream was a bit overpowering. So if you make this dish with chicken, you can for sure use heavy cream (it is delicious) but with beans, I preferred the subtle nuttiness and buttery flavor of cashew cream.
If you’re looking for more ways to increase your fiber-filled proteins, check out my chorizo tempeh tacos or miso sesame soba noodles!
Why You Will Love Marry Me Beans Recipe
- One Pot Dish. Even though you’re adding things step-by-step, the one pot nature of this keeps your kitchen much much cleaner! This easy butter bean recipe cooks up in just one skillet or a Dutch oven!
- Versatile Dish. While it’s one of my favorite butter bean recipes, if you aren’t a fan you can choose a different bean, adjust the spices and salt, or add more cheese. You can also enjoy this dish as a side dish if you prefer to serve it on the side with your favorite chicken recipe. Or – if you really want – you can totally make the original chicken recipe and just add a can of drained butter beans to that dish!
Ingredients
- Cashews: We’re making a quick cashew cream because cashews pair so beautifully with sun dried tomatoes and don’t overpower the dish. Use unsalted raw if possible – roasted cashews will have a much stronger cashew flavor and end up making the dish sweet. (They work, but will be a little different.)
- THREE Kinds of Tomatoes: This dish combines sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and tomato paste to boost the umami, get a rich depth of flavor, and provide some liquid for the dish.
- Parmesan cheese: Brings salty, cheesy, umami flavors to the butter bean sauce.
- Butter beans: You will need two cans of butter beans. Note that these may also be called lima beans – but you want the dried version, not the fresh ones! You can also use other white beans but I highly recommend trying creamy butter beans (also called gigantes) as they truly shine in this recipe.
- Broth: You can use chicken bone broth or vegetable broth.
- Spinach: Regular adult spinach is perfect in this recipe but you can also use other greens such as kale or arugula.
Be sure to check the recipe card further down the page for the entire list of ingredients and quantities of each one.
Dietary Modifications and Variations
- Vegan: This dish is very simple to adjust to make it completely vegan. Cook the butter beans with vegetable broth and choose a vegan parmesan cheese or add 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a bit of cheesy flavor.
- High Protein: As written, this recipe has about 26 grams of protein per serving. Top with a scoop of Greek yogurt or sour cream for a bit of extra protein and added creaminess, or blend 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts into the cashew cream for more plant-based protein. You can also add some shredded chicken!
How to Make Marry Me Butter Beans
Here’s a look at the main steps for making this creamy butter beans recipe. You can find all the details in the recipe card.
Step 1: Soak the cashews. Pour hot boiling water over the cashews and let sit for about 20 minutes. This softens the beans so they’ll blend into a perfect creamy consistency.
Step 2: Prepare the ingredients. Slice the onions into thin wedges, mince the garlic, chop the sun-dried tomatoes in a small dice, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and shred the Parmesan cheese.
Step 3: Sauté the onions. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Add the garlic, spices, and tomatoes. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme to the skillet to cook for about 3 minutes.
Step 5: Simmer. Add the butter beans and broth to the skillet and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want everything to soften and for the beans to soak up the flavor.
Step 6: Blend the cashews. Drain the cashews and add them to a blender cup with ¼ cup fresh water and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, adding a little more water as needed to aid in blending.
Step 7: Add the greens. Add the washed and chopped spinach to the skillet. Stir it in until it wilts. I’m using regular adult spinach here as it holds up a little better than baby, but any kind will do.
Step 8: Finish the dish. Add the parmesan cheese and the cashew cream. Stir into the dish and cook for about 2 minutes to melt the cheese and infuse the cashew cream with tomato flavor.
Expert Tips
- Store: Leftovers taste even better the next day! Store leftover marry me white beans in the refrigerator for up to four days or the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat Leftovers. Return the in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add some broth or liquid if it’s thickened up.
- Deep Skillet or Dutch Oven. Make sure there’s plenty of room for everything to cook. I prefer a deep skillet but you can also use a Dutch oven.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re looking to serve butter bean dishes up as a side with your favorite protein, it’s great with chicken. They’re a perfect side for my cast iron chicken thighs!
We love these creamy butter beans as a main dish with just a salad and a nice crusty bread. It’s especially great with this lemon arugula salad but would also work well with this simple cucumber tomato salad. It’s also great with rice, quinoa, pasta, or even served up as a side dish for your favorite chicken or roast.
More Lentil and Bean Recipes
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Marry Me Butter Beans
Marry Me Butter Beans are hearty and so satisfying! This Tuscan-inspired recipe is made with sun-dried tomatoes, butter beans, and seasonings, cooked in a rich and creamy sauce that believe it or not, is mostly dairy-free! It’s ready in under 45 minutes and requires just one pot to make!
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Instructions
To start, soak the cashews in hot boiling water for about 20 minutes. (If you do this at the beginning, you’ll be ready to blend the cashews into cream by the time you need them!)
Prepare the ingredients: Slice the onions into thin wedges, mince the garlic, chop the sun-dried tomatoes in a small dice, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and shred the Parmesan cheese. Set these aside as you begin cooking.
Heat a deep-sided skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet – I use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
Next, add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme. Stir and sauté for about 3 minutes.
Once the garlic is fragrant and the tomatoes start to soften, add the butter beans and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add them to a blender cup with ¼ cup fresh water. Blend until smooth, adding another 1-2 Tablespoons of water as needed.
Add the washed and chopped spinach and stir until combined and wilted, about 1 minute.
Finally, add the parmesan cheese and the cashew cream. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes to melt the cheese and infuse the cashew cream with tomato flavor.
Serve directly from the pan with a bright side salad and some crusty bread.
Notes
- Store: Leftovers taste even better the next day! Store leftover marry me white beans in the refrigerator for up to four days or the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat Leftovers. Return the in a skillet on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add some broth or liquid if it’s thickened up.
- Deep Skillet or Dutch Oven. Make sure there’s plenty of room for everything to cook. I prefer a deep skillet but you can also use a Dutch oven.
- Add a Protein Boost. Top with a scoop of Greek yogurt or sour cream for a bit of extra protein and added creaminess.
Nutrition
Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 26gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 335mgPotassium: 2426mgFiber: 18gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 4142IUVitamin B1: 1mgVitamin B2: 0.4mgVitamin B3: 4mgVitamin B5: 2mgVitamin B6: 1mgVitamin B12: 0.04µgVitamin C: 35mgVitamin D: 0.02µgVitamin E: 2mgVitamin K: 212µgCalcium: 170mgCopper: 1mgFolate: 246µgIron: 10mgManganese: 2mgMagnesium: 224mgPhosphorus: 469mgSelenium: 15µgZinc: 4mgCholine: 101mg
