Butter beans bring their satisfying texture, tomatoes add sweetness and umami, and mustard greens lend a little kick to this easy, one-pot stew.
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🥗 About this recipe
The original inspiration for this recipe was tavče gravče, a classic Macedonian bean casserole. But it also takes a few cues from Tuscan bean stews, while the butter-bean-and-mustard-green combo owes a debt to soul food.
The result is a dish that is pretty flexible and undemanding. You won’t need any unusual ingredients or advanced skills; if you can chop and stir, you can make this recipe.
✔️ Ingredients and substitutions
Butter beans
Scientifically, butter beans are the same thing as lima beans. But if you’re thinking of the hard, green, starchy little beans that come in frozen veggie medleys, don’t worry. The variety of lima beans that are usually known in the US as “butter beans” are actually white-to-beige, large, and soft.
Their large size, pillowy texture, and mild flavor are the qualities that make butter beans work so well in this stew. But that delicate flavor also means that you can swap them out for other options if butter beans are unavailable.
Similar beans include corona beans or Greek gigantes, either of which would work perfectly well here. Cannellini or great northern beans don’t have the size of butter beans, but the flavor is acceptable. Or if you can find them, you could try substituting Tetovo beans, which are traditionally used in tavče gravče.
Mustard greens
In the supermarket, you’ll typically find mustard greens in bunches near the kale, collards, and turnip greens, or pre-washed and chopped in plastic bags near the salad section.
Raw mustard greens have a more delicate and crisp structure than kale, and their peppery bite is similar to that of turnip greens or arugula. That spiciness will mellow out as they cook, and the texture softens into a silkiness that’s closer to spinach than it is to kale or collards.
A general rule of thumb is that you can cook mustard greens briefly – just until they shrink down – for a more peppery result that retains some crispness. If you want the greens to be tender and milder, let them simmer until their color darkens and they soften considerably.
Careful Make sure you wash your mustard greens thoroughly before cooking with them, lest you end up with a gritty stew!
You can use turnip greens or spinach in place of, or in addition to, the mustard greens.
Carrots, onions, garlic, and olive oil
This classic trio forms the sweet and savory foundation for this stew. Onions and garlic are subtly pungent, while carrots are earthy and mellow.
Cooking these fresh aromatics in a generous amount of olive oil infuses the stew with layers of flavor and aroma.
Cherry tomatoes
Tomatoes provide a pop of acidity that brightens the flavors in this stew, while also contributing a hint of umami.
I like to use cherry tomatoes because they tend to be good year round, even in the winter when other varieties of tomato are pale and flavorless.
They also hold their shape more than other types, and I like the texture of the individual cherry tomatoes in this stew.
Any high quality, ripe tomatoes would be good in this recipe, though. Just keep in mind that larger varieties will need to be chopped, and during cooking they will break down into the sauce more than cherry tomatoes do.
Oregano and parsley
Peppery oregano and fresh parsley contribute herbal notes that balance out the savory and sweet elements of the dish.
I prefer flat, Italian-style parsley, but curly parsley would work as well. Just be sure to use fresh, not dried, parsley for the best results.
And if you don’t have oregano, a few good alternatives would be thyme, rosemary, or a bay leaf.
✏️ Instructions
Sauté onion Add carrot, tomatoes, oregano, and garlic
Use a large pot or high-walled sauté pan to warm the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent.
Stir in the carrot, tomatoes, oregano, and garlic, and cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and soften.
Add the butter beans Fold in the mustard greens
Drain one can of beans and add to the pan. Don’t drain the second can — just add the beans along with all of their liquid.
Bring to a simmer, then add the mustard greens. Keep folding them in occasionally to allow the greens to shrink down.
Stir until greens are wilted Add parsley, salt, and pepper
Then, reduce the heat and simmer until the greens reach the texture you prefer (I like them tender but not mushy).
Stir in the parsley, then add salt and pepper to taste.
🧰 What you’ll need to make this recipe
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- A knife
- A cutting board
- A can opener
- A dutch oven or other large pot
- A colander
📖 Recipe
Butter Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Mustard Greens
With velvety butter beans and flavorful mustard greens, this quick and hearty entrée makes a great weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, cut in half then sliced into thin half-rings
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes, whole
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cans of large butter beans (drain one can, but keep all of the liquid in the other)
- 1 bunch of mustard greens, roughly chopped
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Use a large pot or high-walled sauté pan to warm the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to become translucent.
- Stir in the carrot, tomatoes, oregano, and garlic, and cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle and soften.
- Drain one can of beans and add to the pan. Don’t drain the second can — just add the beans along with all of their liquid.
- Bring to a simmer, then add the mustard greens. Keep folding them in occasionally to allow the greens to shrink down. Then, reduce the heat and simmer until the greens reach the texture you prefer (I like them tender but not mushy).
- Stir in the parsley, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
This is a pretty flexible dish, and it still turns out well with substitutions and imprecise quantities of each vegetable. Here are a few options to tailor it to your preferences:
- Cannelini or another large bean variety can be used instead of butter beans.
- You can use turnip greens or spinach in place of, or in addition to, the mustard greens.
- Make it spicy by adding a teaspoon or two of red chili flakes along with the onions, or stirring in some chopped fresh chilis when you add the carrots and tomatoes.
- Instead of olive oil, I often use sunflower seed oil for its lightly nutty flavor. Just make sure it's the mild, golden, refined variety. The deeper brown, unrefined style would be overwhelming in this dish.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4Amount Per Serving Calories 274Total Fat 13.2gSaturated Fat 1.9gSodium 590mgCarbohydrates 33.5gFiber 10.7gSugar 8.1gProtein 8.6g
Calcium 168mg, 13% | Iron 4mg, 24% | Potassium 1085mg, 23% **** The nutritional information provided here is only an estimate. Actual nutritional values may vary. ****
Mom2J says
This was really good! I appreciate finding recipes that are so flexible, it really helps me 🙂
Thanks
Meg Kramer says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for commenting 🖤