Smoky Caramelised Onion Butter Beans

Smoky Caramelised Onion Butter Bean Recipe 

Caramalising the onions takes a little bit of time, but this dish is very low effort and all made in one pan. It’s a great balance of smoky, sweet and rich, with a little bit of lemon at the end to bring it all together. 

I love eating it with buttered bread and a dressed green salad. But this would also be great with steamed or sauteed greens. Also if you want to add extra protein to the meal, it would work very well with some roasted chicken thighs or pan fried salmon. 

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Red onions: red onions are slightly sweeter than brown onions so work perfectly when caramalised. However, brown onions (or even shallots) would work well too. 

Garlic: add as much as your heart desires!

Tomato paste: provides the main base of the flavour and the rich red colour. 

Smoked paprika: gives a delicious smoky and warm flavour to the dish. 

White wine: this is optional to deglaze the pan. If you don’t have any wine open, then deglaze with 50ml of water or stock. 

Double cream: double cream is a thick cream (‘heavy cream’ in the US). If you’re looking for a lower fat alternative, then add about 50-100g of cream cheese. But make sure you add this off the heat because it might split if gets too hot. 

Lemon juice: this is Important to cut through the richness of the cream and bring a lovely fresh finish to the dish. 

What to serve this with? 

This dish is excellent served as a main with crusty bread and a fresh green salad, or some steamed or sauteed green veg. 

It would also work very well as a side to protein, for example, some roasted chicken thighs or pan fried salmon. 

Instructions 

Prepare your ingredients 

Start by preparing your ingredients. Finely slice the onion. Finely chop the garlic. 

Caramelise your onions 

In a medium sized frying pan over a medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions and a good pinch of salt. Fry until caramelised and sweet. 

Add garlic, tomato paste and smoked paprika. Cook for a couple of minutes, stir often. 

Deglaze the pan.

If you have some wine, deglaze the pan with it, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. If you don’t have any wine, add a bit of water or light stock. Or, this step can be skipped entirely if you want! 

Add the butterbeans 

Pour in the butterbeans and their liquid. Including the liquid adds extra flavour and makes the sauce nice and thick. However, for some people adding the can liquid can cause extra gas! So do what works for you. If you don’t want to add the bean liquid, then add about 30-50ml of water instead. 

Add the double cream 

Pour the cream then bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. 

Squeeze in the lemon and taste for seasoning.

Finally, squeeze in some lemon to taste, and add a bit of extra salt if needed. Enjoy! 

Thank you!

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