Creamy Lemony Butter Beans
There is something particularly satisfying about a dinner that comes together in one pan, in about the time it takes to toast some bread.
These creamy, lemony butter beans are exactly that. The beans simmer with sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli and vegetable stock before being finished with crème fraîche, lemon and Parmesan. The result is a soft, creamy sauce with enough brightness to keep it feeling fresh, rather than heavy.
I like to finish the dish with fresh parsley and plenty of black pepper, then serve it with thick slices of toasted sourdough for scooping up every last bit of the sauce.
I made this in my Tefal Space + Shallow Pan, which is particularly useful for recipes like this where everything comes together in one wide pan.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 to 2 shallots, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of chilli flakes
250g cherry tomatoes
2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained
¾ cup vegetable stock
2 large handfuls baby spinach
2 tbsp crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper
To serve
Fresh parsley or basil
Toasted sourdough
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan over medium heat. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and burst. Add the butter beans and vegetable stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, allowing the stock to reduce slightly and the beans to absorb the flavour.
Fold through the spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir through the crème fraîche or yoghurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Scatter over fresh parsley or basil and serve immediately with warm, toasted sourdough.
A note on the dairy: Greek yoghurt works well in place of crème fraîche, but stir it through once the pan is off the heat to keep the sauce smooth.
This recipe was created in collaboration with Tefal using the Tefal Space + Shallow Pan.