This Butter Beans recipe is made with canned butter beans, turkey bacon, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, butter, olive oil and sage. It’s a quick and easy recipe to make and it tastes like pure southern comfort food!

A white skillet filled with Butter Beans. A serving spoon rests in the skillet.

My mom used to make this recipe for my dad. My dad loved butter beans! If we had leftover ham after a holiday, she’d toss in some ham, and once in awhile she’d toss in some bacon. I’ve used turkey bacon here to keep things on the leaner side. It just adds a nice smokey flavor to the beans.

Four clear glass bowls filled with canned butter beans, sliced leeks, chopped turkey bacon and chopped tomatoes.

These southern butter beans are a delicious mix of canned butter beans, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, turkey bacon and sage. I typically stir in Parmesan cheese at the end, because it adds to the richly flavored sauce. Parmesan cheese makes everything taste better!

Mediterranean Butter Beans Recipe

  • Butter Beans. We use 2 16-ounce cans of butter beans (not drained or rinsed)
  • Turkey Bacon.  A little turkey bacon adds a nice smokey flavor to these canned beans.
  • Leeks.  Leeks add a sweet oniony flavor to the mix.
  • Garlic. My family loves garlic, so we use 2 – 3 cloves minced or grated. (I forgot to add them to the photo by mistake).
  • Tomatoes. We add chopped tomatoes to this dish.
  • Butter and Olive Oil. We use both butter and extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.
  • Seasoning. We use fresh sage, red pepper flakes and salt to season these beans with. 
  • Cheese. Stir in finely grated Parmesan cheese which makes the sauce taste amazing.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

How To Make Canned Butter Beans

  1. Cook Turkey and Sage. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped turkey bacon and sage and cook for about 3-5 minutes. 
  2. Add Leeks. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook on low heat for 7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes or until the leeks are soft and tender.
  3. Add Canned Butter Beans. Stir in the canned butter beans (and the liquid from the can) and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes. If you lose too much liquid, then add about 1/4 cup of either chicken broth or water.
  4. Add Tomatoes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and the crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Add Cheese. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (if adding). 

A white skillet filled with legumes cooked with bacon, tomatoes, garlic and leeks.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these butter beans with homemade cornbread, garlic bread or a warm crusty baguette with a big leafy green salad. 

A white skillet filled with canned butter beans, turkey bacon, leeks, garlic and tomatoes for butter beans recipe.

Looking For More Legume Recipes?

A white skilled filled with canned Butter Beans. A serving spoon rests in the skillet.
Yield: 4 Servings

Mediterranean Butter Beans

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

This Butter Beans recipe is made with canned butter beans, turkey bacon, leeks, garlic, tomatoes, butter, olive oil and sage. It's a quick and easy recipe to make and it tastes like pure southern comfort food!

Ingredients

  • 2 16-ounce cans butter beans, undrained
  • 4 pieces turkey bacon, chopped
  • 1-1/2 cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only - you'll need 3-4 small leeks)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 4 fresh sage leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped turkey bacon and sage and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the turkey is cooked and slightly crisp.
  2. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook on low heat for 7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes or until the leeks are soft and tender.
  3. Stir in the canned butter beans (and the liquid from the cans) and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. If you lose too much liquid, then add about 1/4 cup of either chicken broth or water.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and the crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter (so it melts) and 3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (if adding). 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 480Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 444mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 17gSugar: 10gProtein: 22g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.