- Course: Entrée
Seasoned Lima Beans, also known as butterbeans, can be used in a variety of dishes. Seasoned lima beans are an easy side dish to prepare and serve with any meal.

I can remember when I would have Vegetarian Cooking Classes many years ago at my home in the Bahamas where I live. In truth, this recipe seemed simple and was definitely a favorite of the participants in the program. Being from the island, we love grits and rice. It is a staple here to have rice for lunch and grits with breakfast. In this recipe, Creamy Lima Beans would be served over any of those grains.
Beans are my favorite food, I love the beans because they are very filling, and satisfying, the benefits are great and I find I snack far less when I have lots of beans and greens.
Benefits of Seasoned Lima Beans
Seasoned Lima beans have many health benefits that make them an excellent choice for people looking to improve their health and diet.
Improves digestive health
- It helps prevent constipation by adding fiber and other nutrients to your diet.
- It helps prevent diarrhea.
- It helps prevent irritable bowel syndrome by adding fiber to your diet.
- It helps prevent colon cancer, gallstones, and diverticulitis because it is rich in dietary fiber, which promotes a healthy digestive system and reduces the risk of these diseases.
Good source of vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. It also helps protect against heart disease and improves bone health. If you’re not consuming enough vitamin K, your bones could become brittle and prone to fracture.
Vitamin K can be found in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, as well as broccoli and Brussels sprouts but it’s rare to find naturally occurring amounts of this nutrient in other foods. Lima beans are one of the few exceptions they contain 0.8 milligrams per cup (164 grams), making them an excellent source of this essential nutrient for vegans who don’t eat meat or dairy products on a regular basis.
It can help you lose weight
Seasoned Lima beans are a low-calorie food, so they can help you lose weight. They are also a good source of protein and fiber. Lima beans contain vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C, and E. They have minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.
Lima beans contain plant-based protein which can be beneficial for people who are lactose intolerant since it does not have any dairy products in them at all! This makes them an ideal healthy snack option if you’re looking to reduce your intake of meat during certain times throughout your day/weekend depending on what kind of diet works best for each individual person living within our society today.
Diabetes Control
A lack of fiber is associated with diabetes and heart disease, so eating seasoned lima beans can help prevent these health issues as well. Lima beans provide a high amount of fiber and other proteins. Lima bean has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. This makes them a great addition to any meal plan or diet that’s trying to control blood sugar levels.
The high amount of potassium found in lima beans improves cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure. The study found that a one-cup serving of cooked black-eyed peas decreased systolic blood pressure by 5% compared to participants who didn’t eat any such food during the experiment.
Nutritional Facts
- Calories: 209
- Fat: 0.5g
- Sodium: 28.9mg
- Carbohydrates: 40.1g
- Fiber: 9.2g
- Sugars: 2.8g
- Protein: 11.6g
- Vitamin C: 17.2mg
- Iron: 4.2mg

Seasoned Lima Beans
Ingredients
Equipment
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Blender
Ingredients
- 4 ½ c. lima beans canned or cooked (1 c dry = 2 ¼ c cooked)
- 2 cup bean water
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 tsp. oil, opt.
- 1/3 cup cashew pieces
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
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Drain cooked beans' liquid and reserve for use.
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Chop herbs and place in a frying pan.
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Sauté bell pepper and onion in oil till transparent.
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Blend the cashews, water, and seasonings until they are creamy and smooth.
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Pour the mixture into the sauce pan along wit the beans and heat until it boils.
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Serve immediately with cornbread, rice, and or grits. Or you can use it as a dip.
Video
Notes
How do you thicken lima beans?
Cashews
Add one of the following ingredients to thicken the lima beans:
Cashews. The cashews will thicken up your lima beans, and you can use them by themselves or in combination with another thickening ingredient.
Slurry
A slurry. To make a slurry, heat 1/4 cup of water and then mix it into 3 tablespoons of cornstarch until there are no lumps left before adding it to the pot of lima beans.
Cream sauce
A cream sauce or vegan cheese sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of vegan heavy cream or shredded cheese to your pot of cooked lima beans for every cup of cooked limas before serving if you want a creamy or cheesy flavor profile for your dish (or both). You’ll need about 1/4 cup total per 8 cups of cooked beans for either option.
Is there a difference between butter beans and lima beans?
Butter beans and lima beans are both legumes, but they differ in color, size, and usage. Butter beans are more yellow than lima beans due to their higher levels of carotenoids (the pigment that gives carrots their orange color). Butterbeans also tend to be larger than lima beans. The butter bean is primarily a Southern dish that uses them as a thickener for soups and sauces.
The salad-variety butter bean was introduced by Thomas Jefferson when he served it at his inaugural dinner in 1801. Lima bean varieties include the Ford hook lima bean (also known as “butterbean”), which is cultivated primarily in Florida, other cultivators include Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Virginia. All states where winters are mild enough for this plant to grow outdoors without frost protection.
Should lima beans be soft?
The answer to the question of whether or not lima beans should be soft is a qualified “yes.” Lima beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber, but they should be cooked until tender, but not mushy. This means that lentils and beans should be cooked until they are soft but not too soft.
If you like your vegetable al dente (which means “to the tooth” in Italian), then lima beans may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a hearty veggie side dish with great flavor and nutrition, then this recipe might just be for you.
What are white lima beans good for?
You can use white lima beans for a variety of purposes. They are especially good in salads, soups, stews, casseroles, and side dishes. You can also serve them as part of a dip or appetizer. In addition to these uses, you may also consider their potential as an ingredient in more complex dishes if you have the time and inclination to do so.
Storage
Lima beans can be dried, canned, or frozen. After the date is printed on the packaging, canned beans should be kept at room temperature for up to a year. Dried lima beans should be kept in an airtight jar in a cold, dry location for about six months.
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Ingredients
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Instructions
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Hi Marlene, I like the way you cook, quick and easy. I heard you have your cooking book on sale. Can I purchase one?
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My name is Noemie