Description
These creamy butter beans with sun-dried tomatoes and Swiss chard are an insanely flavorful high protein vegan meal! Blended silken tofu takes the place of cream in this easy butter bean recipe. Sun-dried tomatoes add concentrated pops of tomato flavor while Swiss chard adds fiber and nutrients. Enjoy alongside bread, rice, or pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 10.8–ounce package silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons + 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 2 cans butter beans, 1 can with liquid and 1 can drained
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh basil, torn or chopped
- Bread, optional for serving
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium. While the skillet comes to temperature, make the tofu cream. Add the silken tofu (no need to drain) to a blender along with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, sugar, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend until very smooth. Taste, then season with more salt if needed.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the shallot is translucent and just beginning to caramelize, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from burning. Stir in the sundried tomatoes and the butter beans. Cook for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, stirring regularly, then add the chopped chard leaves. Cook until they are just wilted, about 2-3 minutes then remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir in all of the tofu cream and the grated parmesan. Garnish with basil and additional parmesan if desired. Serve with bread for dipping and scooping.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days. Reheat leftovers with a splash or two of water or milk on the stove or in the microwave.
Notes
- I used a 10.8-ounce shelf stable package and it ended up being the perfect amount for the entire recipe. If yours comes in a package bigger than that, try to use just 10-12 ounces of it.
- If you do not need this recipe to be high protein, you can substitute 1 cup of plant-based cream for the tofu cream to shave down the number of ingredients and the overall prep time.
- I prefer enjoying these butter beans with bread but you can also enjoy them with rice or pasta.
- If you can’t find canned butter beans, you can use 2 cans of cannellini beans instead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: main