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Creamy butter bean and rosemary mash in a ceramic bowl with olive oil pooling on top and fresh rosemary scattered over the surface

Butter Bean and Rosemary Mash with Garlic and Lemon

Canned butter beans simmered with garlic and rosemary, then mashed with olive oil, butter, and lemon for a creamy 20-minute side dish.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 127
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 butter beans (canned) x 400 g cans; drained and rinsed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra to serve
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary plus extra leaves to garnish
  • 120 ml vegetable stock / 1/2 cup
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 tbsp butter optional, swap olive oil for dairy-free
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Warm the olive oil in a 2-quart / 1.9L saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and rosemary sprigs and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, stirring so the garlic doesn't brown.
  2. Add the drained butter beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are very soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
  3. Fish out the rosemary sprigs and discard the woody stems. The flavor is already in the pan.
  4. Mash the beans right in the saucepan with a potato masher, leaving some texture, or blitz briefly with an immersion blender for a smoother mash.
  5. Stir in the butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper off the heat. Mix until the butter melts in fully.
  6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the mash feels too thick, loosen it with a splash more stock, a tablespoon at a time.
  7. Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with extra olive oil, and scatter fresh rosemary leaves over the top. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Rinse canned beans well before simmering to remove excess sodium.
  • Pull rosemary sprigs out before mashing to avoid woody bits.
  • Use a potato masher, not a food processor, to keep the mash from turning gummy.
  • Add butter off heat so it melts in without separating.