Butter Bean Mash

Naturally, season mashed potatoes by simply adding butter beans. Butter bean mash is an easy and healthy way to enjoy creamy vegan mashed potatoes. This butter bean mash recipe is the perfect side dish for the holidays. Gravy recipe included.

During the holidays, I was the kid who ate all the mashed potatoes and left the turkey on the table. Even as an adult, I never lost my love for mashed potatoes. So, to continue my mashed potato obsession, I 'veganized' mashed potatoes and made them fat-free by making butter bean mashed potatoes with easy 'no chicken' gravy. This vegan mashed potato recipe, also called butter bean mash, combines mashed potatoes and butter beans to form creamy, buttery-tasting mashed potatoes. Not only does this butter bean mash recipe taste like it's swimming in butter, but it's healthy too.

Jump to:

• What are Butter Beans?
• Butter Bean Mash Ingredients:
• Butter Bean Mash Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Vegan Gravy Ingredients
• Vegan Gravy Substitutions
• Making Vegan Gravy
• Try These Holiday Dishes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Since my love for mashed potatoes is somewhat of an addiction, I figured out a way to make mashed potatoes buttery without using oil or vegan butter. What's my secret? Butter beans.  

What are Butter Beans?

Butter beans are precisely the same as lima beans! 

Butter beans, or large lima beans, are large, flattish beans that range from pale yellow to white.  Butter beans have a velvety texture and rich, savory, buttery flavor.

Although most butter beans may sound fattening, butter beans are high in fiber, not fat.  

With 5 grams of fiber per half-cup, butter beans are also a great source of potassium, a mineral with natural diuretic properties that removes excess sodium and fluid from the body.

Butter Bean Mash Ingredients:

• Baking Potatoes: I peel the baking potatoes and cut them into equal-sized chunks, so they cook evenly.
• Butter Beans: Butter beans or lima beans can be purchased in a can or soaked overnight and cooked before using them in the recipe.
• Organic Vegetable Broth: I buy vegetable broth in bulk at Costco because I use it so often.
• Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I like oat milk plant-based recipes because it's creamy
• Salt/Fresh Ground Pepper: I love fresh ground pepper mashed potatoes. I suggest adding as desired, as salt and pepper enhance all the flavors in the butter bean mash recipe.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder adds a sweet and savory flavor to certain dishes that you can't get from fresh onions.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds an intense, concentrated garlic flavor to a recipe, while garlic cloves offer a slightly subtler flavor
• Parsley: Parsley adds freshness and a bright green garnish to the butter beans and mashed potatoes.

Butter Bean Mash Ingredient Substitutions

• Any potato works well for this recipe. It is possible to leave the skins on for a chunky rather than creamy mashed potato recipe.
• Cannellini beans are often substituted for butter beans in recipes; however, they do not have the buttery flavor, so I suggest adding 2 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast if using these beans instead.
• Any plant milk works well, but be sure it's unsweetened and unflavored.

How to Make Butter Bean Mashed Potatoes

First, peel, wash and cut potatoes into similar-sized chunks. Then, place the potato chunks in a pan, cover them with water, and add a small amount of salt. Next, to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft.

Also, remember, however, the size of the potatoes may alter the time it takes to soften them potatoes. 

Another great way to save time is to add the butter beans to the boiling potatoes in the last few minutes of cooking to cook both in one pan. 

To make the perfect, 'buttery' vegan mashed potatoes, add butter beans, vegetable broth, a little plant milk, and mash.

However, you don't even need to add salt. The buttery flavor of the beans flavors the butter bean mashed potato recipe without added salt. But add salt and pepper for individual preference.

• Wash, peel and cut potatoes into large chunks
• Place potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and add a little salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce to medium-low and boil uncovered for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
• Separately, drain one can of butter beans.
• In a small pan, heat beans through (you may also microwave the butter beans to speed up the process)
• It is essential to heat the beans, so everything is hot and ready to be whipped together when combining the potatoes and beans.
• Drain potatoes and place in a bowl.
• Add hot butter beans to potatoes.
• Next, add 1 cup of vegetable broth and mash on high using an electric mixer.
• Now, add ½ cup of unsweetened plant milk. 

You don't need butter to get a buttery flavor despite popular belief.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Combine the drained butter beans with the boiling potatoes as a shortcut. 
• Use unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk.
• Make sure to cut the potatoes into equal-sized so they cook evenly. 
• Also, the size of the potato pieces determines the cooking time. For instance, larger-sized chunks take longer to cook. Conversely, smaller-sized pieces cook more quickly. 
• Butter bean mash prepared in advance heats up nicely. 
• The no-chicken gravy also stores well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before reheating and serving.

Vegan Gravy Ingredients

The same is true for not needing chicken and fat for delicious, savory gravy.

• Organic Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco because I often use it.
• Flour of Choice: Any flour works well. I used whole wheat flour.
• Vegetable Bouillon Cube: Vegetable bouillon is a type of flavoring made of vegetables, herbs, and spices. It is a concentrated, compacted version of broth or stock. It is typically a green or brown color due to the vegetables and spices. It often comes in cubes or small bricks, paste, or liquid.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is a ground and dried-out version of the fresh garlic bulb. You might also hear it referred to as “granulated garlic”—that's the same thing, only ground a tad bit coarser. One huge advantage of using this versus fresh garlic is that it's less prone to burning.
• Salt/Fresh Ground Pepper: Salt and pepper enhance the flavors in the gravy. Add as desired.

Vegan Gravy Substitutions

• Choose gluten-free flour as an alternative to whole wheat flour for a gluten-free option.
• Instead of vegetable bouillon cubes, try Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce.
• Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder; it should be finely grated.

Making Vegan Gravy

• Place two cups of vegetable broth in a medium saucepan.
• In a one-cup blender measuring cup, add 1 cup vegetable broth and ¼ cup flour.
• Blend until mixed well.
• Set aside.
• Add 1 vegetable bouillon cube into boiling vegetable broth until disintegrated, garlic powder, and freshly ground pepper.
• Slowly add flour/vegetable broth and whisk.
• Continue to stir over medium-high until it begins to thicken.
• Reduce to simmer.

If you love low-fat, creamy vegan mashed potato recipes, look no further! Even adults love these vegan mashed potatoes. Or, if you're anything like me, eat butter bean mashed potatoes as a meal! 

So, the next you make mashed potatoes, try butter bean mash. You won't be disappointed.

Try These Holiday Dishes

If you love this butter bean mashed potatoes and easy no chicken gravy, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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