Lemony Butter Beans with Fresh Herbs
Oct 14, 2026
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These lemony butter beans with fresh herbs prove you don’t need a long list of ingredients or hours in the kitchen to make something absolutely delicious. Relying heavily on pantry staples like butter beans, stock, garlic and olive oil, it comes together in less than 30 minutes. Finished with plenty of fresh herbs and lemon, it’s bright, zesty and comforting. Best served with olive oil fried sourdough to mop up every last drop of that beautiful broth!
Why you’ll love these lemony butter beans!
I always say that a well stocked pantry is the secret to making delicious meals without too much effort. Some of my favourite recipes have come from those evenings when I haven’t planned dinner and find myself rummaging through the pantry to see what I can throw together. This is one of those dishes! A tin of beans, some stock, garlic and a generous amount of olive oil can become something so incredibly delicious with very little effort. It’s also the perfect way to use up those bunches of fresh herbs we all seem to have wilting away in the back of our fridge.
I love recipes like this because they remind me that good cooking doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Much like my one pot pea pasta or cherry tomato and basil pasta, it’s all about making the most of simple ingredients. A generous handful of herbs and a squeeze of lemon bring everything to life, and all that’s left to do is grab some crusty bread and get dipping!
Ingredients for Lemony Butter Beans
You only need a handful of ingredients to make these lemony butter beans, most of which you will find in your pantry!
- Butter beans: Their soft, creamy texture is perfect for soaking up all the flavours of the broth. You can also use other tinned beans such as cannellini beans or even chickpeas!
- Garlic and shallot: Create a beautiful savoury base. I like to be generous with the garlic!
- Olive oil: Adds richness and helps bring all the flavours together. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Chicken stock: Forms the base of the broth. Vegetable stock also works if you’d prefer to keep this dish vegetarian.
- Fresh parsley and dill: These are the stars of the dish, adding plenty of freshness and flavour. You can really use any herb you like!
- Lemon: Both the zest and juice brighten the broth and balance the richness of the beans.
- Sweet paprika: Adds a subtle warmth and depth of flavour. Smoked paprika works well too.
How To Make Lemony Butter Beans
These lemony butter beans are ones of those wonderfully simple, one pan recipes that requires very little effort and comes together in under 30 minutes!
Step 1: Sauté the aromatics: Fry the garlic, shallot and chilli in olive oil until softened and fragrant.
Step 2: Add the beans: Stir through the butter beans, sweet paprika and lemon zest until well coated.
Step 3: Simmer: Pour in the stock and simmer until the beans are soft and creamy. Finish with fresh herbs and lemon juice.
Step 4: Serve: Spoon the beans into bowls and serve with crispy olive oil fried sourdough for dipping.
FAQ’s
Absolutely! Cannellini beans, tinned chickpeas or great northern beans are lovely alternatives. I particularly love butter beans for their soft, creamy texture.
Yes! Simply replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. The rest of the recipe is naturally vegetarian.
Yes, but you’ll need to soak and cook them beforehand. This recipe uses canned butter beans to keep things quick and easy.
Yes! The beans can be prepared ahead of time and reheated when you’re ready to serve. For the freshest flavour, stir through the parsley, dill and lemon juice just before serving.
More 30 Minute Dinners!
If you make these lemony butter beans with herbs, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations! If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Lemony Butter Beans With Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil, + 1 tbsp extra
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 large red chilli, finely diced
- 1 tsp sweet parika
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 400 g butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 spring onions, green and white parts chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
- salt + pepper
- 4 slices sourdough, to serve
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large saucepan on a medium heat, bring 4 tablespoons of olive oil to heat. Add the garlic, shallot and chilli and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant. Add the lemon zest and sweet paprika and cook for a further minute.
- Simmer the beans: Add the butter beans and chicken stock to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the broth has slightly reduced and the beans are soft and creamy.
- Fry the sourdough: While the beans simmer, drizzle the sourdough with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place into a frypan on a low to medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy.
- Finish and serve: Stir the spring onions, parsley and dill through the beans. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season to taste. Serve immediately with the olive oil fried sourdough.
Notes
- Beans: Butter beans are my favourite for their creamy texture, but cannellini beans also work beautifully.
- Stock: Use vegetable stock to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and dill give the broth its lovely bright flavour. Coriander also works if you prefer.
- Consistency: For a thicker broth, gently mash a few beans against the side of the pan while simmering.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or water to loosen the broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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