Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (2024)

  • Lima Beans

For this hearty dish, rich pork-infused butter beans are combined with tomatoes and kale, then topped with hard-boiled eggs and a drizzle of good olive oil.

By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated December 01, 2023

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Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (2)

Why It Works

  • Brining the beans overnight has all the benefits of a standard soaking step: it shortens cooking time and ensures the beans cook uniformly. Brining has the added benefit of seasoning the beans all the way through and preserving their texture as they simmer.
  • Salt pork (or leftover trimmings from roast pork) lends a savory richness to the beans.
  • Adding a large can of tomatoes when the beans are tender increases acidity, which keeps them from softening further and gives the kale time to braise.

Afterroasting a suckling pig, I found myself in possession of far more pork bones and scraps than any reasonable person would know what to do with. Some of them went into a batch of bone broth. Other scraps turned into a stewed pork filling forarepas. But at the end of the week, I still had a good deal of flavorful fat and rind hanging out. What to do?

Well honestly,nothing goes with pork like beans.The greatest pork and bean dish I've ever had was in Toledo, Spain, where suckling pigs roasted in a wood-fired oven were served alongside a largecazuelafilled withjudias—a fat, white kidney-shaped relative of the butter bean or lima bean—cooked into a porky, tomatoey stew. Large and robust, they had a perfectly creamy texture and deeply porky flavor. Definitely something worth replicating at home.

"The key to perfectly textured beans is to brine them overnight."

You may not be able to find true judias around here, butlarge lima beans are of the same family and will work just fine.The key to perfectly textured beans is to brine them overnight. Despite the fact that some older books (and chefs) will tell you not to salt your beans until after they're cooked lest you end up with tough skins, salt actuallyhelpsbean skins soften properly.

Take a look at this picture which I'm stealing from my article onthe best chili everwithout my permission (I dare me to report it):

Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (3)

See how nice the ones on the right look compared to the left?Beans contain ions of magnesium and calcium in their skins that act as backup dancers—the supporting act that makes sure the skins stand tall. Soak them and cook them in salty water, and those magnesium and calcium ions decide to take a break, giving the role instead to their sodium ion counterparts.

And as anyone who's ever been to the ion ball can tell you,sodium ain't a dancer.With magnesium and calcium out of the way, the bean walls become much more tender, allowing them to soften at just about the same rate as the bean interiors.

Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (4)

So whatdoesinhibit beans from softening?Acid. The lower the pH of the cooking liquid, the slower the softening reactions become. It's for this reason that a dish like, say, Boston baked beans takes overnight for the beans to soften in the acidic, molasses, tomato, and vinegar-laced environment.

We can use this fact to halt our beans in their tracks as they cook. As soon as the beans are tender, I add a can of tomatoes to the mix, increasing acidity, and letting me simmer the beans a bit longer with a bit of roughly chopped braising greens. This also lets me cool the beans and reheat them a few days later to make the most of their flavor (they just get better and better as they sit).

If youstillhaven't had enough pork, you can serve the beans with a pork chop or perhaps a good sausage. I like serving mine with some perfectly boiled eggs drizzled with plenty of olive oil, good crunchy sea salt, and black pepper.

By the way—if you don't have suckling pig leftovers, a hunk of salt pork or even bacon will work just as nicely to flavor your beans.

January 2012

Recipe Details

Butter Beans With Kale and Eggs Recipe

Prep5 mins

Cook95 mins

Active30 mins

Brining Time8 hrs

Total9 hrs 40 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound butter beans (large lima beans)
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 to 4-ounce salt pork (see note)
  • 2 quarts low-sodium homemade or canned chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 whole onion, split in half
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 rib celery
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, roughly chopped
  • 4 cups roughly chopped kale, swiss chard, or curly spinach leaves
  • 2 to 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Cover beans with 2 quarts cold water and add 2 tablespoons salt. Stir once to combine then set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 18 hours.

  2. Drain and rinse beans and add to a large saucepan. Add salt pork (see note), chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, onion, carrot, and celery. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer and cook until beans are completely tender, about 1 hour, topping up with water as necessary (beans should be just poking through the top surface.

  3. Discard bay leaves, thyme sprigs, onion, carrot, and celery. Remove pork and discard if desired or chop up and add back to pot. Add tomatoes and kale to pot, bring to a simmer, and cook, gently stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until thickened and stew-like, about 20 minutes longer.

  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, topping with hard boiled eggs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

Instead of the salt pork, if you have leftover rind and bones leftover from roastedsuckling pigorpork shoulder, use them! Ham bones work great as well.

Make Ahead and Storage

The beans can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and will improve with time. Reheat by microwaving or stir gently over medium heat, adding liquid as necessary.

Read More

  • The Serious Eats Guide to Beans
  • How to Cook Dried Beans
  • Cheesy Mashed White Beans With Kale, Parmesan, and a Fried Egg
  • Huevos Rancheros Verdes (Fried Eggs With Green Salsa and Refried Beans)
Butter Beans with Kale and Eggs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's healthier butter beans or cannellini beans? ›

Nutritionally, both butter and cannellini beans are high in protein and fiber and have very similar nutritional profiles. The only noticeable difference is that butter beans contain a small amount of fat while cannellini beans have none.

What is the difference between lima beans and butter beans? ›

Well, rest assured; the two are actually one in the same. There's no difference between lima beans and butter beans, though sometimes they're sold at different stages of maturity. As a matter of fact, our Large Lima Beans packaging actually states Butter Beans in parentheses, just to clarify.

Are butter beans good for you? ›

Butter beans are rich in vitamins and minerals, which are important for overall health. A source of potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc, they also contain calcium and protein. Both plant-based foodies and meat-lovers can really benefit from adding butter beans to their diet.

Do you have to blanch lima beans before you freeze them? ›

To stop the enzymatic process, vegetables should be blanched. To blanch, or parboil, the lima beans, you will need to fill a large kettle with 1 gallon of water and bring it to a brisk boil. Blanch no more than 1 pound of lima beans per 1 gallon of water at a time.

Do butter beans spike blood sugar? ›

Even though pulses contain carbohydrates, they don't give sharp rises to blood glucose levels compared to other carbohydrate-containing foods. The make-up of the carbohydrates in pulses, the fibre content and the fact that they are high in protein slows down the breakdown of the carbohydrates into glucose in the blood.

Are butter beans good for high blood pressure? ›

All beans and peas can help lower blood pressure due to their high content of fiber, potassium, and magnesium.

Do butter beans need to be soaked before cooking? ›

The short answer to this question is no. You don't have to soak your dried beans overnight. We'll get to what you can do instead in a second, but first, a note about why we soak beans. Soaking beans in the refrigerator overnight will reduce the time they have to cook drastically.

What is the American version of butter beans? ›

Lima Beans. While they're all the same bean botanically, butter beans have different names depending on the region. In the South and in the United Kingdom, they're typically referred to as butter beans. Elsewhere in the U.S., they're known as lima beans (named for Lima, Peru, the bean's point of origin).

What is the Indian name for butter beans? ›

Desi Val, also known as butter beans are popular legumes that are known for their mild buttery flavor and meaty texture. They are known by several regional names, for instance Lima beans in Hindi are called 'Sem Phali' and Lima Beans in Tamil are called 'Mochai'.

Can I eat butter beans every day? ›

To put it simply, yes, butter beans can be classed as a healthy and nutrient-dense food. If you're struggling for inspiration on how to get more of them into your diet, then we've added some tasty plant-based recipes at the bottom of this article.

Are butter beans healthier than pasta? ›

Beans tend to be healthier than pasta since they contain more nutrients than white pasta alone. Similar to chickpeas and lentils, beans are excellent sources of fiber and plant-based protein. Easily incorporated into various dishes, beans have several health benefits including promoting a healthy gut and heart.

Are butter beans full of iron? ›

Butter Beans are a fantastically healthy ingredient – they're high in protein and fibre, and they're an excellent source of carbohydrates. Low in fat and calories but high in folate, starch and iron, they're one of the best store cupboard ingredients there is.

What are two vegetables that should not be blanched before freezing? ›

All vegetables should be blanched and quickly cooled before freezing, drying or dehydrating. Exceptions: Diced or cut onions, green onions, leeks and peppers do not need to be blanched before preserving.

What happens if you don t blanch green beans before freezing? ›

Blanching green beans before freezing helps them to retain that beautiful green color and crisp texture when you go to enjoy them. Skipping this step might result in your beans having a mushy texture once defrosted.

How long do butter beans keep in fridge? ›

Storage. Keep in a cool dry place. Once opened keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

What is the healthiest canned beans? ›

While all beans are great sources of fiber, navy beans lead the pack with 19 grams per cup—more than half of the amount recommended per day. “Eating enough fiber improves digestive health, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and keeps you full,” Parlitsis says.

Which white beans are the healthiest? ›

All beans are rich in fiber, but the top-ranking variety is the navy bean, allegedly named for its popularity in the U.S. Navy in the early 20th century. These pea-sized, cream-colored beans provide 10 grams of fiber per half-cup serving.

Are cannellini beans healthy? ›

Cannellini beans are wonderfully nutritious. They're fat free and an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron and magnesium. One 1/4 cup serving contains 11 grams of protein! Adding nutritious foods like dried cannellini beans to your diet may help control blood sugar levels; talk with your doctor.

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