Table of Contents
These creamy butter beans with spinach and leeks are wealthy, garlicky, and prepared in a single pan — the sort of white beans recipe that feels cozy however comes collectively quick.
Bounce to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Elements | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Ideas | 🥗 Serving Recommendations | 📝Full Recipe Card | 🍽 Extra Hearty Vegetarian Recipes
At A Look
- ⏱ Prepared In: 30–35 minutes
- 🍽 Serves: 4–6
- 🌱 Food regimen: Vegetarian, gluten-free
- 💪 Diet Highlights: Excessive in fiber, good plant-based protein, wealthy in iron
- 🥕 Predominant Elements: Butter beans, leeks, garlic, cream, spinach, Parmesan
- 🔥 Taste Profile: Creamy, savory, evenly candy, recent and lemony end
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Pleasant: Retains 3–4 days within the fridge
- Greatest Served With: Toasted sourdough, crusty bread, or alongside grilled rooster or fish if not vegetarian.
This creamy butter beans recipe is a kind of quietly spectacular dishes — easy, however layered with taste. The leeks soften down right into a smooth, barely candy base, the beans flip buttery and wealthy, and the cream ties all the things collectively right into a silky sauce.
What makes it actually work (and never really feel heavy) is the steadiness — a success of lemon zest and juice on the finish cuts via the richness simply sufficient. It’s the sort of white-bean-and-spinach dish that feels comforting but recent and wholesome.
It’s additionally surprisingly satisfying due to the fiber and plant-based protein within the beans, which makes it simply pretty much as good as a principal as it’s a aspect.
👩🍳 You may additionally like these legume recipes: Greek butter beans (for non-creamy skillet meal), lentil and mushroom Bolognese, creamy coconut pink lentil soup, or these creamy inexperienced beans. Extra bean recipe concepts right here.
What You’ll Want
Here’s what you’ll want for this creamy beans skillet recipe. Discover the complete measurements within the recipe card beneath.
- Leeks – soften right into a candy, silky base (don’t rush this step)
- Garlic – provides depth and that traditional savory spine
- Olive oil + butter – for richness and taste layering
- Cream – brings all the things collectively right into a luscious sauce, I like to make use of gentle cream right here.
- Parmesan – salty, nutty, and provides further umami
- Cannellini or butter beans – creamy, excessive in fiber and plant protein. Swap: chickpeas work, however you’ll lose that buttery texture
- Spinach – provides colour, vitamins, and balances richness, be happy to make use of kale or chard right here.
- Lemon zest + juice – important for brightness and a bit acidity.
- Inventory (veg or rooster) – builds taste into the beans
- Elective – Pinch of nutmeg (delicate, however actually beautiful with cream and spinach)
How To Make Creamy Butter Beans With Leeks & Spinach
Discover the complete recipe and dietary info beneath. Listed here are some useful step-by-step pictures for this one-pan white beans dish.
- Warmth olive oil and butter in a big skillet over medium-low
- Add sliced leeks with salt and cook dinner 8–10 minutes till smooth and silky
- Stir in garlic and cook dinner for 30 seconds
- Add beans and inventory, simmer for 3–4 minutes
- Flippantly mash a number of the beans to thicken the sauce
- Stir in cream and let it gently bubble
- Add spinach and cook dinner till wilted
- End with lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and black pepper
- Style and regulate seasoning — this step issues
Watch The Video
Recipe Ideas
- Don’t rush the leeks – that is the place the flavour begins. Low and sluggish = candy and smooth
- Mash just a few beans – it thickens the sauce naturally with out making it stodgy
- Add lemon on the finish – retains it vivid and recent (including too early dulls it)
- Use good Parmesan – it actually makes a distinction right here
- Variations: Add crispy bacon or pancetta for a smoky twist or sun-dried tomatoes for little pops of tangy and candy. Stir via mushrooms for further depth. Use kale as a substitute of spinach for a heartier model
- Storage: Retains within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Reheat gently on the range with a splash of inventory or water
- Make-Forward: You possibly can prep the leeks and garlic forward. The entire dish reheats properly, making it nice for meal prep
Serving Recommendations
I really like serving this straight from the skillet with thick slices of toasted sourdough — the type you possibly can actually drag via the sauce. Typically, I might add a fried or soft-boiled egg for further protein, particularly when having this as a principal meal or brunch.
It additionally works superbly as a aspect with grilled rooster, fish, or perhaps a easy roast for non-vegetarians, or some roasted veggies or a crisp salad.
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These creamy butter beans with spinach and leeks are wealthy, garlicky, and prepared in a single pan — the sort of white beans recipe that feels cozy however comes collectively quick. Discover step-by-step pictures and extra recipe suggestions above.
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Soften the leeks. Warmth olive oil and butter in a big skillet over medium-low warmth. Add leeks with salt and cook dinner for 8–10 minutes till smooth and silky. Add garlic and cook dinner for 30 seconds.
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Add beans and inventory. Stir in beans and inventory. Simmer for 3–4 minutes. Flippantly mash a number of the beans to thicken the sauce.
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Add cream and spinach. Pour in cream and let it gently bubble for a couple of minutes. Add spinach and cook dinner till simply wilted. (Elective: add a small pinch of nutmeg.)
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Last touches. Stir in lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, Parmesan, and black pepper. Style and regulate seasoning and lemon as wanted.
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Serve heat with toasted sourdough or crusty bread.
- Variations: Add crispy bacon or pancetta for a smoky twist or sun-dried tomatoes for little pops of tangy and candy. Stir via mushrooms for further depth. Use kale as a substitute of spinach for a heartier model
- Storage: Retains within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Reheat gently on the range with a splash of inventory or water
- Make-Forward: You possibly can prep the leeks and garlic forward. The entire dish reheats properly, making it nice for meal prep
- Can I make this dairy-free? Sure — swap cream for coconut cream or a plant-based different, and skip Parmesan or use a dairy-free model.
- What beans work greatest? Butter beans or cannellini are perfect for that creamy texture. Chickpeas will work, however gained’t be as smooth.
- Why mash some beans? It thickens the sauce naturally with no need flour or cornstarch.
- Can I freeze it? You possibly can, however the cream might separate barely when reheated. Nonetheless tasty, simply not as silky.
- How do I increase taste much more? Layer your seasoning — salt the leeks early and style on the finish. This makes an enormous distinction
Energy: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 21g | Fats: 21g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 1140mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1508IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 8mg