"Marry Me" Butter Beans

"Marry Me" Butter Beans

This one genuinely stopped us in our tracks the first time we made it. Creamy, rich, sun-drenched and packed with those deep Mediterranean flavours, it's the kind of dinner that makes everyone at the table go quiet for a moment. The butter beans are silky and satisfying, coated in this incredible blended sundried tomato cream sauce that tastes like it took hours to make. Trust us, once you've had this, you'll be adding it to your regular rotation immediately.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • High speed blender
  • Large frying pan

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp sundried tomato oil (from the jar)
  • 5 sundried tomatoes
  • 100g plant-based cream
  • 150ml plant-based milk
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 x 400 tins of butter beans
  • 250g spinach
  • Salt & pepper
  • crusty bread

Method

1

Prepare the vegetables

  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Peel and mince the garlic
2

Prepare the base

  • In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp sundried tomato oil. Once warm, add the onions a big pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft
3

Whilst the vegetables are cooking

  • Combine the sundried tomatoes, cream and plant-based milk in a high speed blender and blitz until smooth and creamy
4

Return to the base

  • Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute before adding the dried thyme and chilli flakes. Saute until this mix is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the sun dried tomato cream and butter beans (and their liquid if using organic). Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes
5

Finish and serve

  • Stir the spinach into the pan and allow to wilt in the heat of the stew
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper
  • Serve immediately with a big green salad
  • Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days

Tips & Variations

  • Use the jar oil: Don't throw away that sundried tomato oil. It's liquid gold for cooking the onions and adds a flavour base you just can't replicate with plain olive oil.
  • Go low and slow on the onions: We know 8 to 10 minutes feels like a long time, but properly softened onions make the sauce so much sweeter and more rounded. Don't rush this bit.
  • Finish with something green: We love stirring through a big handful of spinach or some torn basil right at the end. It lifts the whole dish and makes it feel even more complete.

Why This Works

The trick here is blending the sundried tomatoes directly into the cream and plant-based milk. It means every bit of the sauce is packed with that intense, jammy tomato flavour rather than just finding the odd chunk here and there. Using the oil from the sundried tomato jar to cook the onions is the other move that makes a real difference, it adds so much depth before you've even started.