On a chilly evening, there is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of Butter Bean Soup. This healthy vegan soup is nourishing and flavorful. With an array of colorful vegetables and fresh dill, this is an entree you can feel good about.
My family often makes a meal out of soup, especially when the weather turns cold. There’s nothing better than a piping hot bowl of Butter Bean Soup, loaded with vegetables, to fill you up without packing on the pounds. The calories you save here can be better spent on a holiday treat or two… latkes, anyone?
Butter beans are actually mature lima beans, and can be called butter beans or lima beans depending on regional dialect. They are white and larger than the green lima beans you might be used to. You can find them dried or canned; if using canned, you will need about four standard 14-15 ounce cans for this soup recipe. I prefer using dried beans here; you can quick soak them if you don’t have time for an overnight soak. Instructions are provided in the recipe below.
This Butter Bean Soup is warming, flavorful and satisfying; your house will smell amazing as it cooks. The soup has a salty, slightly tangy tomato broth and a tantalizing aroma. My stepdaughter, who is particularly picky when it comes to food, asks me to make this soup for her a lot during the winter. At her request, I sometimes substitute potato chunks for butter beans. A combination of beans and potatoes would work great, too.
So what are you waiting for? Get your soup on!
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Butter Bean Soup
8 servings
2 hours
1 hour 30 minutes
Parve
Description
Butter Bean Soup with carrots, celery, and fresh dill in a flavorful vegan broth. Healthy, kosher, parve.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry butter beans (or 6 cups cooked or canned butter beans - you can sub cannellini or navy beans)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes (1 can - fire roasted is ok)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 tbsp fresh chopped dill, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
Cover the dry beans with cold water and soak them overnight. Drain and rinse.
Alternatively, if you’re running short on time, you can quick soak the beans. To do this, in a medium pot bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add dry lima beans and boil for 3 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and allow the beans to soak in the hot water for 2 hours to soften.
Drain and rinse until water runs clear. Remove any bean skins that have come loose and discard.
If using cooked or canned beans, rinse them well, drain and set aside until ready to use.
In a large pot, heat up ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat until hot (not smoking). Add chopped onion to the pot and sauté for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes more until fragrant.
Add carrot, celery, and soaked lima beans to the pot.
Cover the ingredients with 8 cups of water (if using canned beans, add 6 cups of water) and bring to a slow boil for a few minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the top of the pot.
When foam dissipates, add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot, along with ¼ cup of fresh chopped dill and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let the soup simmer for 75-90 minutes until beans are nice and tender. If using canned beans, you will only need to simmer the soup for 30 minutes or so. If the soup becomes too thick while it’s cooking, add a little more water. Taste and season again towards the end of cooking, if needed.
Ladle soup into bowls and serve garnished with the remaining fresh dill.
Linda Venn says
Hello ..this is probably a silly question… I don’t really know what to use as “crushed tomatoes “ a can of chopped tomatoes? Or tomato paste?
Many thanks in advance?
Tori Avey says
There are canned tomatoes sold pre-crushed (not paste), or you can crush a can of diced tomatoes in the blender – it would be pureed with texture, not completely smooth.
Madli says
Fantastic recipe. Thank you for sharing. I skipped the celery and put a potato instead. Loved it!
Imma says
Hi Tori –
I had always thought that lima beans and butter beans were two different things. I sometimes see butter beans called “giant beans.” Are butter beans, lima beans, and giant beans all the same thing? I usually think of butter beans being significantly larger than lima beans. Is this maybe a regional difference?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Imma, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Butter beans and lima beans are the same thing, but giant beans are a larger variety of bean. Hope this helps!
Esh says
Hi is there any seasoning you can add? I’m liking the recipe but am worried it may be bland…
Tori Avey says
The fresh dill is the star here, and adds lots of bright flavor together with the tomato broth. You can spice it up with some smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne (careful, cayenne is very spicy!) if you like.
GC says
This soup has become a family favorite here on the Cohen homefront. Thank you so much for introducing it to us!
Ole-E. Nesse says
Hello Tori!
I must say, I really really REALLY HATE celery!
I’ve been trying for 20 years to learn to like it, but no-no-NOT! I can manage to put it in a green juice, but never ever else.
Anyhow, I gave this a try since I rather enjoy butter beans a lot.
Wow … I’m out of words!
This soup is just Devine!
Hands down for this! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome Ole-E. I love it too!
Lisa says
I have a question regarding your Butter Bean Soup recipe.
This recipe looks great and I can’t wait to make it. The recipe calls for a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes , I only find “diced” tomatoes in the 14 oz size. The crushed tomatoes come in a 28 oz can. Which should I use? Thank you for any advice you can give me.
Tori Avey says
Hi Lisa! You can use diced tomatoes, just pulse them a few times in the blender to break them up a bit before adding to the soup. Enjoy!
Leta says
I have been cooking since I was 9. My mother, a dentist, was at best a diffident cook, so I took over cooking the family meals. Here it is, 43 years later, and I still love cooking. My teens rapturously eat anything I serve them. My husband also appreciates my cooking, and despite ‘hating’ eggplant has loved everything I have made for him that showcases that vegetable.
Lima beans are a different story. Lima beans are the representation, to him, of the worst of his own mother’s out-of-a-can cooking. She was a busy nurse with 6 sons. Every vegetable she served her family was canned, with the exception of iceberg lettuce. Canned lima beans were, to him, like eating library paste.
Having never been a significant part of my repertoire, I just skipped ever using them. But I suspect that I can begin curing him of his lima bean phobia by making savoury broad bean stews such as this.
I am thinking–hoping–that canned lima beans have gone the way of other atrocities such as canned new potatoes!
carolee says
This soup was easy to make and so very good.
Ileana says
I like this recipe do you know how a frozen bag of butter beans will work? I have a bag of the frozen ones in the freezer
Tori Avey says
Hi Ileana, frozen beans should work fine. I’d add the beans about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. Enjoy!
Keeley says
I wonder how long this would take in a crockpot.
SonyaP says
Do you think this dish would “last” overnight, in a crockpot on low for Shabbat Lunch?
Tori Avey says
Hi Sonya, I’m guessing it probably will work, but I can’t promise because I’ve never tried it myself. If you try it let us know how it turns out for you!
Alice K. says
Hi Tori,
One more question: When I use the canned beans, how do I adjust cooking times, since the beans are already cooked? Thanks much!
Tori Avey says
Hi Alice! Pour the canned beans in 10-20 minutes before the end of cooking, until they’re warmed through. If the canned beans are on the tender side, 10 minutes will do. If they’re a bit tender-crisp, add them 20 minutes or more before the end of cooking. Generally the canned ones are pretty soft, so you don’t want to overcook them– just give them enough time to get hot. 🙂 Enjoy the soup!
sippitysup says
I am a butter bean fan (many people aren’t- shocking I know). I am also a fan of soup as a simple meal during this hectic time. Happy New Year. GREG
Roxanne says
I made this for supper tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Paula says
soup sounds delicious, but I am not a dill fan. Any other seasoning suggestions? thanks so much.
Tori Avey says
Hi Paula! Try an equivalent amount of fresh chopped cilantro, or if you don’t like that, you can use fresh parsley. Both will work great!
Ilke says
It does look warm, we do love soup and grilled cheese dinners during the week and when it is so cold ! I love the fresh dill touch.
Hope you are doing well! Hugs, Ilke
Ann says
Tori – this looks amazing! Like you – I like soup for a meal…and so does honey bunny! He’d go mad for this one!
Marge says
Tori, this recipe looks great as does your POTATO BHAJEE, which I will be making. This soup, I think I will add 1 cup of brown rice and let the rice cook and have an even heartier one-pot meal. I’ll let you know how it turns out. GOOD WORK. I’ve been sharing on FB and getting several “likes” so people are noticing.
Thanks for your good stuff. Love your simple recipes and terrific pictures of each step.
Tori Avey says
Aww, thanks Marge!! I think brown rice would work great in this and make it a more substantial dish. Really appreciate your kind words. xoxo
Faythe says
The brown rice sounds fantastic. I have plenty of long grain brown rice, black beans and navy beans I could combine and use for this soup.
AliceK. says
Tori,
Love the soup recipe, but I use canned beans (I do make my own vegetable stock, though). So how many cups of canned beans would I need?
Thanks!
Alice.
Tori Avey says
Hi Alice! You can use about 6 cups of canned beans for this recipe.