Braised butter beansJulie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Even in the world of legumes, branding is everything.
Lima beans don’t come close to having the same marketing appeal butter does. (Few food items do.) Butter beans have become a darling of social-media food reels, undoubtedly in a large part owing to their name – but in truth they’re simply a bigger, creamy white variety of lima beans.
There are many types of pulses – the edible seeds of plants in the legume family – that go by a variety of names; in India, butter beans are known as double beans. Like all other pulses, butter beans are an excellent source of fibre and protein, they’re inexpensive, versatile and shelf-stable, whether dried or canned, and are good for the soil, and thus for farmers and the environment. The big, white, floury beans are excellent in soups, braises, pastas and saucy one-pot meals, and also excellent roasted – lighter, with more crispy bits than dense chickpeas: pat cooked beans dry, toss in oil and your choice of seasonings, and roast at around 425 F for 20-25 minutes, until crispy and golden. They will split open, giving them a rougher texture and a crunchier exterior, perfect for snacking or tossing over a salad.
If you’re starting with dry beans, there are many who are inconvenienced by the thought of presoaking. There are few culinary techniques simpler than pouring water over a bowl of beans and letting them sit overnight, but it’s not necessary – any time spent in water will jumpstart the hydration process, but simmering them from dry takes just a fraction of extra time, and provides more flavourful stock. Salt the water, too – it will help season your beans throughout, and helps soften their skins. It’s a myth that dry beans won’t soften in salted water; the acidity of your cooking liquid can have an effect though – if they refuse to soften, your water might be too acidic. Add a pinch of baking soda to the pot to boost alkalinity.
Cheesy Baked Butter Beans
Braised beans are the new baked beans – simmered until tender, then given a tomato sauce bath and broiled with a cheesy lid. There are plenty of ways you can go with this: stir some cooked chunky pasta or gnocchi into the beans before topping with cheese and baking, or serve it straight, with crusty bread for mopping.
1 cup dry butter beans
1 big garlic clove, peeled
1 sprig rosemary or thyme
1-2 bay leaves
pinch red chili flakes
salt, to taste
olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste or 1/2-1 cup tomato, sauce or purée
grated or torn mozzarella or Parmesan or other melty cheese (optional)
If you want to, soak the beans in plenty of water for a few hours, or overnight. This will jumpstart the hydration process, but is unnecessary – starting from dry will only add about 15 minutes to your cooking time, and you may in fact find your beans hold their shape a bit better, and won’t split.
If you’ve soaked them, pour off their soaking liquid and put the dry or soaked beans into a medium pot or Dutch oven with at least four cups of water. Add the garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, chili flakes and a big pinch of salt, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook over medium heat for about an hour and a half, or until the beans are tender. Add more water (or stock, if you have some) as necessary if it reduces too much as the beans cook.
When the beans are tender (make sure they’re tender, as they won’t tenderize in an acidic environment), add some tomato paste or purée and cook until the liquid reduces and thickens. Remove the rosemary and bay leaves, adjust the salt if needed and if you like, grate some mozzarella and/or Parmesan (or other melty cheese) overtop and run it under the broiler until golden. Serve with crusty bread. Serves about four.