Creamy Southern-Style Butter Beans Recipe

Beans might be popular in trendy food spaces right now, but in the American South they have been a staple for decades. Made similarly to collard greens in that they are slow-braised in pork-flavored broth until completely tender, rich and buttery Southern-style beans find themselves at tables filled with other classic Southern favorites like crispy fried chicken and moist cast iron skillet cornbread. The creamy dish is best made from dried beans, meaning the entire process is a labor of love — but the results are well worth the effort.

I can't pretend to have grown up in the South, but what I did enjoy growing up were frequent visits to Louisiana, home of Cajun and Creole cuisine. My favorite Southern food is filled with Cajun seasoning, cooked bell peppers, and spicy andouille sausage, and some of my favorite ways to elevate a dish are with those very elements. These butter beans are simmered in an andouille and ham hock-loaded broth for a robust flavor that pairs well with other bold Southern foods. Naturally rich and creamy from the starchy slow-simmered beans, this dish is a comforting favorite and a great way to add healthy fiber to any meal spread.

The very first thing you will need for this recipe is a bag of dried large lima beans. Depending on where you live, these might be very easy to find or a little more rare: My store only had one bag, from one brand, and only labelled as regular lima beans. If you see a dozen options at your store, opt for large, white lima beans, preferably from Camellia or Rancho Gordo. From there, grab oil, andouille sausage, red bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, pepper, and salt, as needed. You'll also need a ham hock, which can often be found in the same section of the grocery store as bacon and sausages.

Add the beans to a large container and cover them with water.

Soak the beans overnight, for about 8 hours, until doubled in size. Drain.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the andouille sausage and sear until browned on either side, about 5 minutes.

Remove the sausage, reserving the grease in the pot.

Add the pepper, onion, and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.

Add the beans and the ham hock to the pot, then return the sausage to the pot and cover with stock. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the mixture is creamy.

Once the beans are soft, remove the pot from the heat and remove the ham hock. Shred the meat from the ham hock, discarding any bones or cartilage, and return the pork to the pot.

Add salt to taste (you may not need any). Then, to serve, top with scallions and parsley.

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The short answer is no, you don't have to use ham hock in butter beans, but your butter beans won't have the same rich flavor without it. Ham hock is made out of the joint that connects the pig's leg to its feet and is smoked for use in dishes like collard greens and these butter beans. The ham hock is not intended to be eaten on its own because it is made up mostly of bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, but when simmered in broth, it imparts a deep savory flavor and creamy texture that is hard to replicate with even just meat alone. If you can't find ham hock, a similar option is smoked turkey legs, wings, or neck bones.

If you are intending to make your beans vegetarian and are also leaving the andouille sausage out of the recipe, you can use liquid smoke to replicate the rich, smoky flavor that the meats impart on the beans. To do this, first cook the vegetables, then add ½ teaspoon liquid smoke and the remaining ingredients. You can also use a vegetarian bouillon cube to replicate the meaty flavor, such as Better Than Bouillon's No Chicken base.

Southern butter beans are meant to be made low and slow in order to achieve the uniquely rich flavor and creamy texture. Without the long cook time, the beans won't quite have the same smoky flavor or buttery texture. If you are craving butter beans and want to shortcut the process, you can technically use canned butter beans, but it will be hard to replicate the recipe exactly.

If you're using canned beans, you can follow the recipe almost as is, but I highly recommend omitting the smoked ham hock because of the shorter cook time. The beans will be ready within 30 minutes, which isn't a long enough time for the ham hock to cook or impart flavor into the beans. Instead, you can use liquid smoke or smoked paprika to replicate the smoky flavor — or simply rely on the andouille. Because the tinned beans are canned with liquid, you also don't need nearly the same amount of broth — in fact, you can omit the broth entirely and simmer just for a few minutes for a super-shortcut version of these beans. If you can't find canned butter beans, you can also use drained great northern beans and a cup of broth for a similar dish — though the texture and flavor won't quite be the same.

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