Description
This Tomato Basil Butter Beans recipe is a quick and easy vegan dish featuring tender butter beans simmered with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, and vegan pesto or basil for a flavorful, wholesome meal. Perfect as a light lunch or side, it’s ready in just 10 minutes and pairs wonderfully with crusty bread or over grains like pasta and quinoa.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegan pesto or fresh chopped basil
- 2 cups butter beans (from 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
Instructions
- Sauté Garlic: Warm the minced garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat while washing and slicing the cherry tomatoes. This infuses the oil with garlic flavor and creates the base for the dish.
- Add Tomatoes and Season: Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet, sprinkle with salt, and increase heat to medium-low. Cook until tomatoes begin to wrinkle and release their juices, about 3-4 minutes.
- Incorporate Butter Beans: Drain and rinse the butter beans, then add them to the skillet with the tomatoes. Stir to combine and allow to simmer together.
- Simmer Mixture: Cook the butter beans and tomatoes for an additional 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down but retain some texture, creating a flavorful sauce that coats the beans.
- Add Pesto or Basil: Drizzle vegan pesto or sprinkle fresh chopped basil over the mixture and gently fold it in to brighten the flavors and add fresh herbal notes.
- Serve: Serve the warm butter beans with crusty bread or toast—optionally broiled baguette slices brushed with olive oil for 2-3 minutes until golden. It can also be enjoyed over pasta, rice, or quinoa for a heartier meal.
Notes
- This dish is vegan and can easily be made gluten-free by serving with gluten-free bread or grains.
- Fresh pesto adds a vibrant flavor, but fresh basil works well if pesto is unavailable.
- Be careful not to overcook the tomatoes; they should soften but not become mushy.
- Draining and rinsing canned butter beans reduces sodium content.
- For a richer flavor, consider adding a splash of lemon juice before serving.
