Green Goddess Butter Beans
Tender butter beans warm gently in a velvety green sauce made with blanched spinach, fresh basil, silken tofu, soaked cashews, lemon, and nutritional yeast for a cozy 35-minute plant-based dinner.
Equipment
- Pan
- Large Pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 courgette diced
- 150 g baby spinach
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 150 g silken tofu
- 80 g cashews soaked in boiled water for 10 minutes
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 small lemon juiced
- 2 400g tins butterbeans drained
Instructions
- Cook the diced onion in the olive oil for a few minutes, stir in the minced garlic, diced zucchini, and a pinch of salt, then continue cooking for a few more minutes before setting the pan aside to cool slightly. The vegetables should feel tender and smell sweet and garlicky, without a heavy cloud of steam when they reach the blender.
- Cover the spinach with freshly boiled water in a large pot, leave it for 1 minute, then lift the leaves into the prepared ice bath. The leaves should collapse and turn vivid green, while the cold water stops them from continuing to cook.
- Blend the drained, blanched spinach with the cooled vegetables, silken tofu, basil, drained soaked cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, and the optional garlic clove until no pieces remain. A spoonful should look glossy and feel smooth rather than sandy, with no visible cashew fragments.
- Combine the blended sauce and drained butter beans in a large pot, then stir frequently over low-medium heat for a few minutes until warmed through and slightly thickened. Look for a green coating that clings to the back of a spoon, with the beans holding their shape and the sauce staying below a vigorous boil.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Soak the cashews in freshly boiled water for the full 10 minutes and drain them well before blending so the sauce turns out smooth and rich rather than grainy or diluted.
Color tip: Have the ice bath ready before blanching the spinach, and let the cooked onion, garlic, and zucchini cool slightly before blending so excess heat does not dull the spinach and fresh basil.
Texture tip: Warm the sauce and butter beans over low-medium heat without letting the pot reach a hard boil, folding gently across the bottom so the sauce stays smooth and the tender beans keep their shape.
Storage and reheating: Refrigerate leftovers promptly in covered containers with any toppings stored separately, then reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or plant milk while stirring until hot throughout.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.