Lemon Garlic butter beans with bright, lemony flavors are a super quick, 1-pan, 30 minute creamy refreshing recipe. Serve with pasta, or crusty bread or rice for an easy meal.
Table of Contents
The garlicky lemon sauce is based on my lemon pasta with plenty of garlic and lemon and simple ingredients. Instead of pasta, you toss in butter beans for a hearty, simple main dish.
This is a vibrant, springy, delicious sauce with amazing flavor and it is pretty flexible. You can change up the flavor by changing up the herbs in the sauce, so feel free to use what you have and what’s seasonal where you are.
You can also use other beans, like great northern beans, cannellini beans, or chickpeas. This sauce is also great tossed with baked or pan-fried tofu. And, of course, you can use this garlic lemon sauce on cooked pasta if you want, too!
Why You’ll Love Lemon Garlic Butter Beans
- 30-minute, 1-pan meal
- tender butter beans in a creamy, lemon garlic sauce with lots of amazing herb flavors
- simple dinner paired with crusty bread for dipping or served over pasta
- gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
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Lemon Garlic Butter Beans
Creamy Lemon Garlic butter beans with bright, lemony flavors are a super quick, 1-pan, 30 minute bean recipe. Serve it with rice, pasta, or crusty bread for an easy meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 145kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour all-purpose or a gluten-free blend
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Italian herbs or use a mix of Italian herb blend and dried dill
- ⅓ cup (78.86 ml) non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream (such as cashew cream) or cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 2 slices of lemon
- ½ teaspoon prepared stone-ground mustard or ½ teaspoon dried ground mustard
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) water or vegetable stock
- 15 ounce (425.24 g) can butter beans or other white beans, such as cannellini, great northern, or chickpeas or use cubed tofu
- black pepper, vegan parmesan, and chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, and once the oil is hot, add the garlic. Mix and cook for 5 to 10 seconds, then add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add splashes of water or broth, as needed, to help the onions cook evenly and faster.
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Add in the onion powder, black pepper, flour, nutritional yeast, and Italian herbs. Mix in for a few seconds, then stir in the non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon slices, mustard, and the remaining salt. Bring to a boil, then mix in the water and beans. Cover with a lid, and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes to come to a good boil, then simmer for another minute, open the lid, and taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt if you need, and if you want more heat add some red pepper flakes. If you want it more herby, then add fresh dill or fresh Italian herbs, like oregano or basil.
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Switch off the heat, garnish with black pepper, vegan parmesan, and fresh parsley and serve. Serve with sourdough, garlic bread, over pasta, grilled cauliflower or veggies.
Video
Notes
It’s soy-free and nut-free, if you use soy-free and/or nut-free non-dairy yogurt.
Store in a closed container refrigerated for upto 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave. Freeze for months.
Serve lemon garlic butter beans with toasted sourdough or other toasted crusty bread or over flatbread, pasta, or grilled cauliflower.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Garlic Butter Beans
Amount Per Serving
Calories 145
Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 0.4g3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g
Sodium 655mg28%
Potassium 333mg10%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 70mg7%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- extra virgin olive oil – To sauté.
- garlic and onion – For umami and flavor.
- salt and spices – Salt, black pepper, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and Italian herbs season the sauce.
- flour – All-purpose or gluten-free flour thicken the sauce.
- non-dairy yogurt – Makes the sauce creamy. You can use other vegan cream, like cashew cream, or use vegan cream cheese. If needed, choose nut-free and/or soy-free non-dairy yogurt.
- lemon – Lemon juice, zest, and lemon slices add so much amazing citrus flavor to this sauce!
- mustard – For tang. You can use stone ground mustard or mustard powder.
- water or stock – Adds moisture to the sauce.
- butter beans – Creamy butter beans taste so amazing in this sauce! You can use other beans, like great northern beans or chickpeas. You can also use crisped up tofu instead of beans.
- garnishes – Garnish your lemon garlic butter beans with black pepper, vegan parmesan, and fresh parsley.
💡 Tips
- When you add the garlic to the pan, stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.
- Adding splashes of water while the onion is cooking will help it brown more quickly and evenly.
How to Make Lemon Garlic Butter Beans
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, and once the oil is hot, add the garlic. Mix and cook for 5 to 10 seconds, then add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add splashes of water or broth, as needed, to help the onions cook evenly and faster.
Add in the onion powder, black pepper, flour, nutritional yeast, and Italian herbs. Mix in for a few seconds, then stir in the non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon slices, mustard, and the remaining salt.
Bring to a boil, then mix in the water and beans. Cover with a lid, and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes to come to a good boil, then simmer for another minute, open the lid, and taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt if you need, and if you want more heat add some red pepper flakes. If you want it more herbaceous, then add fresh dill or fresh Italian herbs, like oregano or basil.
Switch off the heat, garnish with black pepper, vegan parmesan, and fresh parsley and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is gluten-free, if you use gluten-free flour blend to thicken the sauce. It’s soy-free and nut-free, if you use soy-free and/or nut-free non-dairy yogurt.
Serve lemon garlic butter beans with toasted sourdough or other toasted crusty bread or over flatbread, pasta, or grilled cauliflower.
