twenty-minute butterbeans

Serves 1-2         Prep 5mins         Cook 20mins

I use these beans as the base and anchor for most of my meals. They are the one constant in my life.

I mix it up with different proteins, carbs and herbs but the base is always the same because I adore anything that is has both a rich savouriness yet is beautifully bright.

This is a versatile recipe that is purposely adaptable. If you don’t have yoghurt, you can use plant milk or crème fraîche or even single cream. If you don’t have lemon, you can use white wine, vinegar, lime and so on. Whatever is in your arsenal, can most likely be substituted into this recipe depending on your time and effort level!

I’ve also given the option of adding in fresh herbs such as dill, parsley or chives because fresh herbs make everything better.
400g cooked butterbeans
100g whole leaf kale (stemmed and chopped)
1 ½ tbsp white vinegar or white wine
1 lemon
1 small white onion
2–3 large garlic cloves
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
3 tbsp yogurt
handful fresh herbs (e.g. parsley, dill, chives)
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch nutritional yeast (optional)
to taste salt & black pepper

  1. Chop the white onion, garlic, and kale. Congrats — that’s all the chopping required!

  2. Heat a wide frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat and drizzle in as much olive oil as your heart desires. Once hot, add the chopped onion, followed by the garlic. Sauté until softened, but watch the heat — we don’t want these to brown, just to stay translucent.

  3. When the onion and garlic start to catch slightly on the bottom of the pan, deglaze with the white wine vinegar (or white wine, if using). The pan should be hot enough that the liquid instantly sizzles when it hits the surface. Let it cook off for a minute or two.

  4. Pour in the tin of butterbeans along with all their liquid, then stir to incorporate. Add the vegetable bouillon and 80ml of water to loosen things up.

  5. Reduce the heat and let the beans simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and the mixture thickens — about 5–7 minutes. Use your spatula to break down about a fifth of the beans against the side of the pan to help thicken the sauce.

  6. Stir in your kale here and let it wilt for 1-2 minutes.

  7. Turn the heat to low. Stir in a generous dollop of yogurt, followed by nutritional yeast and chopped herbs of choice (if you have any on hand… dried also works here).

  8. Season with salt, cracked black pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Serve hot, finished with another bright hit of lemon, flaky sea salt, and a final scatter of fresh herbs.